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Q,TJINCY  IN  1857; •' 


OR 


FACTS  AND  FIGURES 


EXHIBITINO 


MANUFACTURES  AND  COMMERCE.   > 


B  Y 


JOSEPH  T.  HOLMES. 


QUINCY  ,     ILL. 

HERALD  BOOK  AND  JOB  PRINTING  ESTABLISHMENT. 

1857. 


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PREFACE. 


IN  giving,  this  volume  to  the  public,  the  compi- 
ler deems  it  advisable  to  state  that  it  has  been 
prepared  under  the  supervision  of  the  Mayor  and 
Council  of  the  City  of  Quincy,  and  others  who 
are  thoroughly  acquainted  with  her  history  and 
business  ;  and  the  facts  and  figures  have  been  ob- 
tained from  sources  of  unquestionable  authority, 
and  may  be  relied  upon  as  correct.  Owing  to  the 
fact  that  no  publication  of  this  kind  has  been 
heretofore  attempted  in  our  city,  and  that  no  busi- 
ness returns  have  been  collected  or  preserved  in 
former  years,  the  author  regrets  that  he  is  unable 
to  illustrate  her  progress  in  a  manner  at  all  de- 
tailed. It  is  to  be  hoped  that  in  future,  more 
S  efforts  will  be  made  by  the  citizens  of  Quincy,  to 
direct  public  attention  to  this  point  as  one  of  the 
most  eligible  in  the  West.  With  the  hope  that 
.  his  efforts  may  in  some  degree  effect  this  object, 
this  little  work  is  now  submitted  to  the  public  by 

THE  AUTHOR. 


I  7  £ 


HISTORICAL. 


THE  citizens  of  Quincy  have  long  seemed  singularly  indif- 
ferent to   the    importance   of  placing  before   the  public   her 
just  claims  to  notice.     While  the  inhabitants   of  other  Cities 
and  Towns,  with  scarcely  a  tithe  of  her  natural  or  artificial  re- 
sources, have  blown  their  trumpets  long  and  lustily,  and  have 
laid  their  real  or  assumed  advantages  and  prosperty  with  un- 
wearying perseverance  before    the  public  gaze,    Quincy   has 
alone  been  silent.     No  flaming  hand-bills  have  painted    her 
glorious  destiny  to  the  dazzled  eye  of  the  emigrants  who   pour 
through  our  Western  country.     No   accomodating  maps  have 
been  published  representing  her  as  the  exact  centre  of  the  con. 
tinent  from  which  are  to  radiate  iron  arms  that  will  embrace 
the  whole  confederacy.     Not  one  of  the  arts  have  been  em. 
ployed  by  which  crafty  speculators  have  won  notoriety  for  their 
paper  towns  and  lured  the  unsuspecting  to  less  favored  locali- 
ties,— but  strong  in  the   consciousness  of  superiority,  she   has 
pui'sued  her  way  quietly,  but  none  the  less  steadily  and  surely 
to  the  position  which  she  now   occupies  as  one  of  the  leading 
Cities  of  the  Great  West, — the  second  in  importance   in  the 
State  of  Illinois,  and  the  first  in  the  Mississippi  Valley  above  St. 
Louis,  not  only  in  Manufactures  in  which  she  stands  unrivalled, 
nor  yet  in  extent  of  Commerce,  although  in  this,  she  challenges 
comparison,  but  in  the  unusual  conjunction  of  these  with  un- 
equalled advantages  in  point  of  beauty   of  location,  extent  of 
public  improvement,  salubrity  of  climate,  facilities  of  education 
and  general  elegibility  as  a  place  of  residence.     She  has  at- 
tained her  present  eminence  without  ostentation  or  parade  on 
the  part  of  her  citizens,  who,  in  the  midst  of  their  schemes  of 


6 

private  business,  have  still  found  leisure,  not  only  to  construct 
railroads,  promote  Commerce  in  its  every  branch,  and  encourage 
Manufactures  of  every  description,  but  have  not  neglected  to 
adorn  and  beautify  her  streets  and  public  parks,  to  found  mag- 
nificent schools  for  public  instruction,  and  to  erect  church 
edifices  of  unsurpassed  elegance  and  splendor.  But  it  is  now 
time  that  she  should  be  presented  in  proper  light  before  the 
public, — that  facts  and  figures  should  be  presented  to  demon- 
strate her  superiority,  and  to  convey  to  ears  too  distant 
to  catch  the  hum  of  her  busy  machinery,  the  sound  of  her 
clanging  forges,  and  the  roar  of  the  wheels  of  Commerce  rolling 
through  her  streets — an  announcement  of  her  prosperity.  There 
is  no  city  in  the  whole  broad  West  of  equal  population  and  im- 
portance, so  little  known  and  appreciated  abroad  as  Quincy, 
and  the  compiler  of  this  volume  has  undertaken  it  with  the  hope 
thai  public  attention  may  be  turned  to  this  fact,  and  that  her 
Merchants,  Mechanics,  and  business  men  generally,  may  arouse 
to  the  importance  of  disseminating  abroad  correct  information 
as  to  her  advantages,  resources,  growth,  size,  and  wealth.  It  is  not 
the  aim  or  the  expectation  of  this  work  to  do  full  justice  to  the 
subject,  but  simply  to  enumerate  a  few  of  her  present  and  pros- 
pective advantages  as  a  manufacturing  and  commercial  point, 
and  to  give  a  short  account  of  her  manufacturing  and  mercan- 
tile interests  at  the  present  time. 

Before  speaking  of  her  present  and  future  position,  it  may 
not  prove  uninteresting  or  uninstructive  to  trace  briefly  the 
steps  of  advancement  by  which  the  transformation  of  a  wilder- 
ness into  so  populous  and  flourishing  a  city  has  been  effected, 
and  to  mention  a  few  of  the  incidents  and  circumstances  at- 
tending her  early  settlement. 

Quincy  was  originally  selected  as  a  town  site  in  the  year  1821 
by  the  Hon.  John  Wood,  now  Lieutenant  Governor  of  the  State, 
who  visited  this  neighborhood  in  the  fall  of  that  year,  in  com- 
pany with  two  others  named  Moffit  and  Flinn,  in  order  to  look 
for  and  examine  some  land  belonging  to  the  latter,  and  which  is 


now  within  the  city  limits.  He  was  so  impressed  with  the  beauty 
of  the  spot,  and  so  well  satisfied  that  from  its  geographical 
position  it  must  become  the  great  point  of  outlet  for  the  immense 
productions,  which  must  speedily  follow  emigration  to  this  and 
neighboring  counties,  that  he  determined  in  his  own  words  to 
"settle  here  for  life."  He  returned  in  the  fall  of  the  succeeding 
year  and  erected  the  first  house  within  the  present  bounds  of 
Quincy.  It  was  a  primitive  structure  built  without  the  aid  of 
nails  or  sawed  lumber,  but  unpretending  as  it  was,  the  associa- 
tions hanging  over  it,  the  almost  miraculous  changes  that  have 
taken  place  in  the  face  of  the  country  surrounding  it,  and  the 
marked  vicissitudes  attending  the  fortunes  of  the  adventurous 
pioneer  who  constructed  it,  invest  it  at  this  day  with  a  halo  of 
interest  peculiarly  its  own,  and  the  mind  loves  to  linger  upon  it 
as  the  germ  planted  in  the  wilds  of  the  West,  from  which  has 
sprung  the  present  vigorous  growth  of  our  Model  City. 

In  the  spring  succeeding  Mr.  Wood's  arrival,  Major  Jeremiah 
Eose,  a  native  of  New  York,  came  with  his  family  and  shared 
his  cabin,  Mrs.  Rose  being  the  first  white  woman,  and  her 
daughter,  now  Mrs.  George  W.  Brown,  the  first  white  child,  re- 
siding in  Quincy.  The  next  house  was  built  in  the  spring  of 
1824  by  Mr.  Willard  Keyes,  a  native  of  Yermont,  and  a  former 
acquaintance  of  Mr.  Wood,  and  the  third  in  the  following  fall 
by  John  Droulard,  a  Frenchman.  At  this  time  there  was  no 
white  settlement  in  the  Military  Tract  north  of  Gilead,  a  point 
sixty  miles  south  of  Quincy,  (then  called  Cole's  Point)  near  the 
centre  of  Calhoun  County,  and  but  two  other  white  men,  by 
name  Perigo  and  Lile,  in  the  bounds  of  what  now  is  Adams 
County,  and  U.  S.  Troops  were  stationed  at  Fort  Edwards,  the 
present  site  of  Warsaw,  a  point  forty  miles  north  of  Quincy, 
for  the  protection  of  the  frontier  from  the  depredations  of  the 
Indians  who  lived  in  large  numbers  in  the  neighborhood.  Our 
pioneers  were  obliged  to  go  forty  miles  to  mill,  but  a  Dr. 
Baker,  who  settled  in  the  fall  of  1824  on  the  creek  two  miles 
south  of  Mr.  Wood's  house,  in  order  to  obviate  this  inconve- 


8 

nience,  with  Yankee  ingenuity,  constructed  a  machine  for 
pounding  corn,  the  motive  power  of  which  was  watei\  Placing 
the  grain  in  a  mortar,  an  industrious  pestle  soon  reduced  it  to 
a  state  suited  to  manufacture  into  very  tolerable  "hoe  cakes." 
A  tragical  incident  connected  with  the  history  of  this  "the  first 
grist  mill  in  Quincy,"  should  not  be  omitted.  One  night  when 
"  der  machine  "  was  in  active  operation,  an  unsophisticated  coon 
instigated  by  the  gnawings  of  hunger,  or  perhaps  by  motives  of 
curiosity,  attempted  to  penetrate  into  its  hidden  recesses.  The 
descending  pestle  gave  him  a  forcible  intimation  that  his  pres- 
ence was  undesited,  and  knocking  him  into  the  mortar,  it  con- 
tinued to  pound  him  with  hearty  good  will  until  morning,  by 
which  time  we  may  conclude  that  his  spirit  of  exploration  was 
effectually  subdued.  The  condition  of  the  "grist"  may  "be 
more  easily  imagined  than  described." 

Previous  to  the  establishment  of  the  white  settlement,  an 
Indian  village  of  the  "Sauk"  tribe  occupied  the  site  of  Quincy, 
and  for  several  years  after  its  establishment  the  original  natives 
remained  in  the  vicinity,  but  as  ageneral  thing  were  not  trouble- 
some neighbors. 

In  the  fall  of  1824,  John  "Wood  inserted  in  a  newspaper  prin- 
ted in  Edwardsville,  called  the  "  Edwardsville  Spectator,"  a  no- 
tice that  application  would  be  made  to  the  next  Legislature  for  the 
establishment  of  a  new  county,  denning  its  boundaries.  In  ac- 
cordance with  this  application,  by  an  act  approved  January  13th, 
1825,  the  Legislature  provided  for  the  organization  of  Adams 
County,  fixing  its  bounderics  as  described  in  the  notice,  and  as 
they  now  exist.  Three  commissioners  were  appointed  to  locate 
the  County  seat,  Seymour  Kellogg,  of  Morgan  County ;  Joel 
Wright,  of  Montgomery  County ;  and  David  Button  of  Pike 
County,  who  after  traveling  through  and  attentively  examining 
the  county,  decided  upon  this  spot  as  the  one  best^calculated  for 
the  future  convenience  and  accommodation  of  the'people.  They 
christened  the  new  town  Quincy,  in  honor  of  the  President, 
and,  although  it  must  be  confessed  the  ceremonials  were  not  of 


the  most  imposing  character,  thenceforth  the  city  of  three  log 
cabins  rejoiced  in  a  name. 

The  first  election  of  officers  for  Adams  County  was  held  on  the 
second  day  of  July,  A.  D.  1825,  when  forty  votes  were  polled. 
Willard  Keyes,  Levi  Wells  and  Peter  Journey  were  elected 
County  Commissioners,  and  at  their  first  meeting,  during  the 
same  month,  Henry  H.  Snow  wag  appointed  clerk.  This  gentle- 
man, pursuant  to  an  order  dated  November  9th,  1825,  was  em- 
ployed to  survey  and  draw  plats  of  the  town,  and  two  hundred 
and  thirty  lots,  ninety-nine  by  a  hundred  and  ninety-eight  feet, 
were  laid  off.  Much  of  the  subsequent  prosperity  of  the  place 
may  be  ascribed  to  the  wisdom  and  taste  displayed  in  this  sur- 
vey. Streets  were  laid  off  sixty-six  feet  wide,  all  but  Maine 
Street,  which  is- eighty-two  and  a  half  feet  wide,  and  crossing 
•each  other  at  right  angles.  A  space  of  four  hundred  feet  square 
was  reserved  in  the  centre  of  the  town  for  a  public  square,  now 
called  Washington  Square,  and  the  inclosure  which  now  is  Jef- 
ferson Square  was  set  apart  for  a  public  Cemetery. 

The  first  sale  of  town  lots  took  place  on  the  thirteenth  day  of 
December  following,  when  fifty-one  lots  which  had  previously 
been  advertised  in  the  St.  Louis  and  Edwardsville  papers,  were 
sold  at  public  auction  by  the  County  Commissioners,  the  major 
part  of  which  were  purchased  by  the  commissioners  themselves, 
the  Sheriff  and  other  citizens  of  the  County,  very  few  being 
sold  to  outside  speculators,  .and  thus  the  curse  which  has  weighed 
so  heavily  on  other  Western  towns  was  avoided. 

From  the  close  of  the  year  1825  until  the  beginning  of  the 
year  1835,  the  growth  of  Quincy  was  not  rapid.  A  variety  of 
causes  combined  to  produce  this  result.  Many  miles  distant 
from  mills  and  from  any  point  where  provisions  or  supplies  of 
any  kind  could  be  obtained,  her  residents  were  obliged  to  dis- 
pense with  many  of  those  articles  which  are  considered  in  older 
communities  as  among  the  u  necessaries  of  life."  Their  coffee 
was  a  decoction  of  okro  seed,  an  herb  -cultivated  by  them  for 
that  purpose,  and  which  they  sweetened  with  wild  honey  found 


10 

in  great  abundance  in  the  neighboring  woods.  Their  nearest 
blacksmith's  shop  was  at  Atlas,  forty  miles  distant,  where  they 
carried  their  plows  to  be  sharpened,  swung  upon  a  horse's  back. 
These  and  other  privations  incident  to  pioneer  life,  together 
with  several  visitations  of  epidemic  disease  during  the  interval 
mentioned,  prevented  any  great  improvement. 

In  the  spring  of  1826,  Mr.  Asher  Anderson  arrived  with  a 
stock  of  goods  from  Maryland  and  opened  the  first  store,  and 
in  the  fall  of  the  same  year  a  court  house  was  built  of  hewed 
logs,  on  the  corner  of  Maine  and  Fifth  streets,  and  in  this  build- 
ing the  first  school  was  organized  and  kept. 

In  1828  Charles  Holmes  and  Robert  Tillson  arrived  and  estab- 
lished themselves  as  merchants,  and  in  the  succeeding  year, 
1829,  they  erected  for  their  accommodation  the  first  frame 
building  in  Quincy.  This  is  still  standing  on  the  northwest  cor- 
ner of  Maine  and  Fourth  streets,  and  is  known  as  the  "old 
post  office  corner." 

During  this  and  the  succeeding  year  several  other  stores  were 
opened  by  different  individuals,  and  the  first  Steam  Flour  Mill 
was  erected  by  Mr.  J.  T.  Holmes,  and  put  an  end,  for  a  time,  to 
the  importation  of  flour. 

In  the  year  1832  the  Black  Hawk  War  broke  out,  but  its  chief 
effect  upon  Quincy  was  an  increase  of  the  number  in  military 
titles,  as  "Colonel,"  "Mcjor,"  &c.,  which  it  bestowed  upon  the 
citizens  with  a  liberal  hand. 

In  1833  the  first  regular  church  was  organized,  numbering 
fifteen  members. 

In  June,  1834,  the  town  was  incorporated,  and  Messrs.  A.  Wil- 
liams, Jos.  T.  Holmes,  S.  W.  Rogers,  Levi  Wells  and  Micheal 
Mast  were  elected  trustees.  From  this  period  may  be  dated  the 
rapid  advancement  of  Quincy  in  population  and  wealth.  In  the 
year  1835  she  contained  about  seven  hundred  inhabitants,  with 
the  following  establishments,  professional  men,  &c. : 

10  Stores,  1  Bonnet  Store, 

1  Pork  Merchant,  3  Cabinet  Shops, 


11 

4  ^ 

3  Cooper  Shops,  2  Bakeries, 

6  Carpenter  Shops,  1  Coach  Maker, 

2  Wagon  Makers,  4  Saddlers, 

3  Brick  Makers,  3  Plasterers, 

4  Tailors,  2  Boot  &  Shoe  Makers, 
2  Butchers,  3  Blacksmiths, 

1  SilverSmith,  1  Wheehight, 

1  Chair  Maker,  6  Lawyers, 

6  Physicians,  1  Printing  Office, 

1  U.  S.  Land  Office,  1  Land  Agency, 

2  Saw  Mills,  1  Steam  Flour  Mill, 

1  Wool  Carding  Machine,        3  Taverns, 

2  Drug  Stores,  1  Gun  Smith. 

Up  to  this  year  a  large  portion  of  the  Bacon  and  Flour  for 
home  consumption  had  been  imported,  but  from  that  date  until 
the  present,  large  and  annually  increasing  amounts  have,  been 
exported.  The  value  of  these  cxportations  from  July,  1834,  to 
July,  1835,  amounted  to  $40,000. 

In  1837  the  population  had  increased  to  1,653,  and  produce 
was  shipped  as  follows  :  Pork,  $85,000,  Flour,  $19,500  Wheat, 
$8,000  worth.  _,  ,,.  •_., 

During  this  and  the  following  year  improvement  went  on 
with  great  rapidity.  The  Quincy  House,  which  even  now,  sur- 
rounded as  it  is  with  the  imposing  structures  of  a  later  date, 
will  attract  attention,  was  erected  by  John  Tillson,  Sr.  The 
Court  House  was  built  the  same  year  upon  the  east  side  of  the 
Public  Square,  and  the  "  Quincy  Library  Association,"  which 
has  since  become  so  important  a  feature  in  the  literary  character 
of  Quincy,  was  organized.  The  first  Board  of  Directors  con- 
sisted of  E.  J.  Phillips,  President ;  J.  N.  Ralston,  Vice  Presi- 
dent ;  Lorenzo  Bull,  Secretary ;  C.  M.  Woods,  Treasurer ;  J. 
Lyman,  W.  H.  Taylor,  Andrew  Johnson,  J.  R.  Randolph  and 
N.  Summers.  ; 

Our  space  will'not  admit  of  a  detailed  enumeration  of  the 
advancement.'  f/om  year  to  year.  Passing  over  the  interval 


12 

between  1838  and  1841,  we  find  that  the  population  in  the  latter 
year  amounted  to  2,686,  and  that  the  sales  of  Merchandize  of 
all  sorts  footed  up  $329,800.  Shipments  of  produce  were  as 
follows  :  Wheat,  275,000  bushels,  Corn,  95,000  bushels,  Oats, 
50,000  bushels  ;  and  during  the  same  year  12,000  Hogs  were 
packed.  The  number  of  Steamboat  arrivals  was  about  1,000. 
In  1849  the  population  had  increased  to  5,500r  and  there  were 
in  the  city 

26  Ketail  Variety  Stores,  5  Dry  Good  Stores, 

2  Hardware  Stores,  10  Ware  Houses, 

2  Book  Stores,  4  Steam  Flour  Mills, 

3  Drug  Stores,  2  Steam  Saw  Mills, 

2  Foundries,  *7  Pork  Houses, 

3  Machine  Shops,  4  Lumber  Yards, 
3  Printing  Offices,  3  Tan  Yards, 

2  Hotels,  5  Brick  Yards, 

9  Physicians,  15  Lawyers, 
13  Chttrcbesr  2  Public  Schools, 

5  Private  Schools. 

The  increase  in  the  amount  of  produce  shipped  was  very  great, 
but  the  absence  of  correct  returns  prevents  an  accurate  state- 
ment. It  may  beset  down,  however,  about  as  follows:  Wheat, 
550,000  bushels^  Corn,  150,000  bushels,.  Oatsr  100,000  bushels. 
There  were  also  about  5,500,000  pounds  of  pork  packed. 

The  annual  increase  in  population  from  1849  to  1857  has 
averaged  about  1,600.  This  has  been  a  steady  and  healthy  ad- 
vancement, keeping  even  pace  with  that  of  the  surrounding 
country.  There  has  been  none  of  the  forced  mushroom  growth 
witnessed  elsewhere,  and  consequently  there  is  no  danger  of  the 
violent  reaction  and  retrogression  whick  may  justly  be  appre- 
hended in  the  case  of  some  cities  of  more  rapid  increase. 

Up  to  the  present  time  there  have  existed  very  great  diffi- 
culties in  combining  a  correct  account  of  the  amount  of  business 
transacted  here,  on  account  of  the  inattention  displayed  by  busi- 
ness men  in  the  preservation  of  correct  returns.  The  establish- 


13 


ment  of  a  Board  of  Trade  during  the  present  year  will  hereafter 
very  much  facilitate  the  process,  and  greatly  lessen  the  labor 
attending  it. 

In  the  matter  of  incidents  and  reminiscences  connected  with 
the  early  settlement  and  progress  of  this  city,  very  much  has 
been  omitted  which  would  prove  interesting  to  citizens  and 
strangers.  It  is  a  field  from  which  an  abler  pen  might  collect  a 
volume  that  would  be  in  the  highest  degree  entertaining,  and 
with  the  hope  that  this  will  soon  be  done,  we  turn  from  the  past 
to  glance  at  some  of  the  advantages  which  Quincy  possesses  as 
a  manufacturing  and  commercial  point. 


MANUFACTURING  AND  COMMERCIAL  ADVANTAGES, 


IN  considering  the  advantages  of  any  city  as  a  manufacturing 
point,  two  things  require  to  be  especially  regarded :  the  degree 
of  cheapness  with  which  articles  may  be  produced,  and  the 
facilities  with  which  they  may  be  distributed  throughout  the 
country.  To  a  commercial  place,  the  chief  essential  is  free  and 
cheap  communication  with  other  communities.  These  facts  are 
universally  admitted  and  amount  almost  to  truisms,  and  explain 
why  it  is  that  in  the  west,  which  is  bountifully  blessed  by  nature 
with  navigable  Rivers  and  noble  Lakes,  and  covered  with  a  net- 
work of  Railroads  and  Canals,  we  find  so  many  rival  cities  of  an 
almost  exclusively  commercial  character,  while  so  few  are  en- 
gaged in  manufactures,  facilities  for  which,  are  dispensed  witli  a 
more  sparing  hand.  There  are  other  circumstances  which  affect 
materially  these  interests,  but  those  mentioned  are  the  most  im- 
portant, and  it  is  with  these  considerations  in  view,  that  we 
think  it  may  safely  be  said  that  it  rests  with  the  citizens  of 
Quincy  to  make  her,  in  a  very  few  years,  a  city  of  100,000  inhab- 
itants ;  the  manufacturing  and  commercial  centre  of  as  highly 
favored  a  scope  of  country  as  the  sun  shines  upon. 

Quincy  is  situated  upon  the  Mississippi  river,  160  miles  above 
St.  Louis,  and  110  miles  west  of  Springfield,  the  seat  of  Govern- 
ment of  Illinois; — the  county  seat  of  Adams  County,  the  second 
county  in  the  State  in  population  and  wealth.  She  is  the  market 
for  a  country  which  is  unsurpassed  for  fertility  and  productiveness. 
On  the  north  and  east  within  a  distance  easily  accessible  by  Rail- 
road, lie  vast  beds  of  superior  Coal,  which  are,  as  yet,  almost  un- 
disturbed. In  the  neighboring  counties  of  Hancock  and 
McDonough,  some  few  veins  have  been  opened,  and  a  Company 


16 


lias  been  organized  which  import  it  to  some  extent  into  the 
city,  but  considering  the  demand  which  even  now,  upon  its  first 
introduction  exists,  and  with  the  high  price  which  results  from 
imperfect  apparatus  and  arrangements  for  mining,  it  may  be 
said  that  as  yet,  comparatively  nothing  has  been  done  toward 
converting  to  use  this  important  element  of  wealth  and  pros- 
perity. The  value  of  Coal  as  fuel  or  as  a  generator  of  steam  is 
too  well  known  to  require  remark.  Its  superior  excellence  and 
cheapness  recommend  it  to  universal  use,  and  when  these  mines 
are  opened  and  worked  to  the  extent  of  theii  capacity,  the  ad- 
vantage which  Quiucy  will  enjoy  over  her  neighbors  will  be 
immense.  Coal  is  not  an  article  that  admits  of  distant  trans- 
portation for  general  consumption,  and  while  they  are  forced  to 
use  wood  as  fuel  at  a  large  and  yearly  increasing  price,  she  may 
enjoy  an  ample  supply  of  Coal  at  a  cheap  and  constantly  de- 
creasing rate.  This  single  circumstance,  other  things  being 
equal,  gives  her  great  superiority  as  a  manufacturing  point. 

The  Quincy  Coal  Company  have  imported  during  the  last  six 
months  300,000  bushels  of  Coal  into  the  city,  of  which  amount 
our  founderies  and  factories  used  275,000  bushels;  and  although 
during  the  greater  part  of  the  time  it  has  commanded  an  extrav- 
agant price,  yet,  even  at  this  rate,  and  with  heavily  timbered 
lands  on  every  hand,  it  has  been  found  much  cheaper  than  wood. 
The  price  at  the  present  time  is  seventeen  cents  per  bushel,  and 
with  increased  capital  facilities  for  mining  and  transportation, 
and  the  competition  that  will  ensue  upon  the  opening  to  market 
of  the  large  deposits  in  Brown  and  Schuyler  Counties,  by  the 
completion  of  the  "  Quincy  and  Toledo  Railroad,"  we  may  rea- 
sonably expect  that  it  will  soon  be  afforded  at  twelve  cents  per 
bushel.  In  addition  to  the  abundance  of  coal,  the  cheapness 
of  erecting  buildings  suitable  to  extensive  operations,  the 
abandance  of  labor,  and  the  small  cost  of  sustaining  a  working 
population,  together  with  other  circumstances  favorable  to 
economical  production,  all  tend  to  designate  this  as  die  future 
.Store  House  and  Manufacturing  Centre  of  a  large  extent  of 


17 

territory.  Rafts  of  pine  lumber  are  constantly  ^arriving  from  the 
Tipper  Mississippi,  but  the  supply  heretofore  has  scarcely  been 
commensurate  with  the  demand.  Within  the  past  year,  however, 
great  attention  has  been  paid  to  the  production  of  hard  wood 
lumber  In  the  immediate  vicinity  of  this  city.  Upon  the  bluffs 
adjoining  on  the  north  and  south,  on  the  islands  in  the  river 
within  a  short  distance  above  and  below,  and  immediately  opposite 
on  the  Missoui-i  shore,  lie  vast  tracts  of  limber  lands  which  will 
eventually  be  made  to  furnish  not  only  a  large  proportion  of 
timber  required  for  building  purposes,  but  also  of  that  employed 
in  manufacturing  wagons,  household  furniture,  &c.,  to  which  it  is 
admirably  adapted.  Several  Steam  Saw  Mills  are  now  in  active 
operation,  and  two  or  three,  for  a  series  of  years,  have  done  a  large 
and  profitable  business ;  but  in  common  with  all  other  producing 
establishments,  they  have  been  found  the  past  year  or  two,  inad- 
equate to  supply  the  growing  necessities  of  the  place,  and  several 
additional  ones  have  been  erected  in  the  dense  forests  of  Mis- 
souri, opposite  the  city,  and  upon  the  neighboring  islands,  the 
influence  of  which  is  already  perceptible  upon  the  lumber  mar- 
ket of  Quincy.  The  engine  and  machinery  necessary  to  run  a 
productive  mill,  may  be  purchased  here,  carried  and  set  up 
within  a  short  distance  in  the  midst  of  an  almost  inexhaustible 
supply  of  Walnut,  Oak,  Elm,  Maple,  Ash,  Linn,  Hickory,  and 
other  of  the  heavier  kinds  of  timber,  for  a  comparatively  small 
sum,  and  the  cost  of  getting  the  lumber  to  market  is  slight. 
From  tbe.s'e  facts  we  are  justified  in  concluding  1  bat  good  and 
cheap  lumber  may  hereafter  be  had  in  abundance. 

The  Bluffs  in  the  neighborhood  contain  large  deposits  of  the 
best  limestone,  admirably  suited  to  building  purposes,  and  ex- 
tensive quarries  supply  the  city  with  it  in  great  abundance. 
Lime  and  brick  are  manufactured  on  an  extensive  scale,  and 
late  patented  improvements  have  greatly  facilitated  the  process, 
and  materially  lessened  the  expense.  In  short,  all  kinds  of  ma- 
terial employed  in  building,  may  be  purchased  in  any  quantities 
at  the  lowest  rates. 


18 

The  beauty  and  healthfulness  of  the  location,  as  well  as  the 
comparatively  low  figures  at  which  real  estate  is  held,  have  at- 
tracted to  this  point  a  large  proportion  of  mechanics  and  labor- 
boring  men,  who  are  to  a  large  and  perhaps  unequalled  extent 
house-holders,  and  proprietors  of  the  dwellings  which  they  in- 
habit. The  exemption  from  exorbitant  rents,  the  cheapness 
and  abundance  of  fuel,  the  large  amount  of  breadstuff's  manu- 
factured, and  the  fertility  and  productiveness  of  the  country  in 
which  the  city  is  situated,  together  conspire  to  render  the  cost 
of  living  comparatively  small.  Labor  is  thus  more  remunera- 
tive, although  afforded  at  a  cheaper  rate,  than  at  almost  any 
other  point  in  the  West. 

This  is  a  consideration  of  the  highest  importance  to  a  manu- 
facturing community;  and  without  it,  establishments  on  an  exten- 
ded scale,  which  require  the  employment  of  a  large  number  of 
hands,  could  not  be  profitably  conducted.  The  position  of 
Quincy  upon  the  Mississippi  River  enables  her  readily  to  import 
the  raw  material  which  goes  to  supply  her  manufactories.  In 
addition  to  this  great  natural  advantage  which  affords  cheap  and 
reliable  means  during  three  fourths  of  the  year,  for  the  distribu- 
tion abroad  of  manufactured  articles,  as  well  as  for  the  reception 
of  materials,  Railroads  are  projected  or  built  to  the  North,  South, 
East  and  West,  which,  when  completed,  (as  the  most  important 
will  be  in  a  very  short  time,)  will  prove  an  inestimable  advantage 
to  her  manufacturing  interests.  On  the  West  lies  a  country  of 
unsurpassed  fertility,  of  great  extent,  and  rich  in  mineral  re- 
sources, that  must  become  tributary  to  her,  if  her  citizens  con- 
tinue to  push  forward  her  railroad  enterprises  in  this  direction 
with  the  energy  heretofore  displayed,  and  she  will  thus  be  put 
in  possession  not  only  of  a  large  and  profitable  trade,  but  of  a 
plentiful  supply  of  the  products  necessary  to  feed  her  work 
shops  and  factories.  Of  these  roads  we  propose  to  speak  more 
in  detail  in  a  subsequent  portion  of  this  work.  They  are  too 
important  too  pass  over  with  a  cursory  remark,  and  are  of  vital 
interest  to  Quincy,  not  only  as  they  relate  to  her  manufacturing 


19 

and  commercial  character,  but  in  connection  with  every  other 
department  of  social  and  industrial  advancement.  Their  consid- 
eration will  fall  naturally  under  the  head  of  Commercial  Ad- 
vantages, although  it  may  be  questioned  whether  they  will  more 
assist  her  commerce  than  her  manufactures.  The  facts,  which 
have  been  briefly  stated,  are  a  few  of  the  peculiarities  of 
position  which  will  enable  Quincy  to  manufacture  with  such 
cheapness  to  compete  successfully  in  their  own  fields  with  such 
cities  as  Pittsburg,  Cincinnati,  and  St.  Louis,  each  of  which  she 
is  gradually  supplanting  in  places  heretofore  dependent  upon 
them  for  their  supplies.  They  are  sufficient  to  establish  that 
her  resources  as  a  manufacturing  city,  are  unexcelled,  so  far  as 
facilities  for  production  are  concerned.  With  regard  to  means 
of  distribution  she  is  equally  fortunate.  This  will  be  apparent 
while  we  speak  of  her  commercial  advantages,  for  the  same 
circumstances  that  favor  the  distribution  of  her  wares,  conduce 
to  render  her  commerce  extensive  and  valuable. 

The  Levee  and  Harbor  are  unsurpassed  by  those  of  any  other 
port  on  the  Mississippi  river.  The  Levee  is  wide  and  admirably 
suited  to  business  purposes.  The  demands  made  upon  it  during 
the  last  year,  however,  somewhat  taxed  its  capacity,  and  it  is 
contemplated  by  the  city  authorities,  to  enlarge,  and  otherwise 
improve  it,"  within  the  present  year.  With  the  proposed  ad- 
ditions, it  will  be  about  one  mile  in  length.  It  is  easily  accessi- 
ble to  boats  of  the  largest  draught,  at  the  lowest  stages  of  water. 
Quincy  Bay,  which  extends  from  the  northern  end  of  the  Levee, 
four  miles  in  a  northerly  direction,  being  completely  land- 
locked, offers  rare  inducements  of  which  many  steamers  yearly 
avail  themselves,  as  a  secure  place  for  winter  quarters.  The 
depth  of  water  is  sufficient  to  admit  the  largest  boats  with 
perfect  safety,  and  their  security  from  damage  by  floating  ice, 
upon  the  "breaking  up"  of  the  river  in  the  spring,  is  entire. 

The  arrivals  and  departures  of  Steamboats  from  the  port  of 
Quincy,  amounted,  in  1856,  to  2,921.  Two  daily  lines  of 
Packets  run  to  St.  Louis,  and  one  to  Keokuk — a  city  in  Iowa, 


^  .  20 

some  forty  miles  above  here,  at  the  foot  of  the  lower  rapids, 

In  addition  to  these  regular  lines,  opportunities  for  shipping 
merchandize,  by  means  of  transient  boat?,  to  the  regions  of  thp 
Upper  Mississippi,  and  to  all  other  points  accessible  by  the 
river  and  its-  tributaries,  are  constant  and  reliable.  These 
excellent  facilities  of  transportation,  cause  an  influx  of  vast 
quantities  of  varied  products  and  manufactures  of  the  great 
•Mississippi  Valley,  which  are  distributed  from  this  point  to  the 
surrounding  country. 

In  the  year  1853,  Quincy  was  made  a  port  of  entry  and  at- 
tached to  the  collection  district  of  Xcw  Orleans.  A  yearly 
increasing  number  of  her  merchants  import  their  goods  directly 
from  the  European  manufactures,  with  but  a  single  rcshipmcnt. 
The  freight  upon  goods  to  Xow  Orleans,  from  the  various 
European  ports,  is  much  less  than  from  the  same  ports  to  Boston, 
New  York,  Philadelphia  or  other  eastern  cities. 

The  large  number  of  vessels  engaged  in  the  transportation  of 
cotton  from  !XcAV  Orleans,  are  anxious  to  secure  freight ;  many 
of  them  returning  in  ballast.  Quincy  merchants  are  thus  en- 
abled to  duplicate  the  bills  of  St.  Louis,  with  the  slight  addition 
of  freight  from  that  point  to  this,  an  addition  which  northern 
and  western  dealers  must  pay  in  any  event.  They  have  no 
hesitancy  in  saying  that  they  can  sell  cheaper  than  the  merchants 
of  Chicago,  who  are  compelled  to  pay  hep  ner freights,  not  only 
for  the  transportation  of  their  goods  from  Europe,  but  for  their 
carriage  from  the  Atlantic  cities  to  the  interior.  It  is  thus 
apparent  that  Quincy  is  the  point  to  which  dealers  along  the 
line  of  her  Railroads  projected  and  built,  should  and  will,  turn 
their  attention  for  the  purchase  of  their  stocks.  These  facilities 
of  importation,  combined  with  the  various  circumstances  which 
have  been  mentioned,  as  facilitating  manufactures,  make  her 
the  most  eligible  place  for  their  supply. 

On  the  Illinois  side  of  the  Mississippi  River,  for  a  distance  of 
more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  Quincy  is  the  only  point 
where  the  bluffs  approach  the  river,  and  where  the  landing  of 


21 

steamers  of  heavy  draught  during  the  lower  stages  of  the 
water,  is  at'  nil  practicable.  From  this  cimimstancc,  if  from 
no  other,  she  is,  and  must  cov.tinue  to  be,  the  market  for  the 
grain  ;md  other  products  of  the  western  portion  of  the  Military 
Tract :  a  district  of  country,  somewhat  circumscribed  in  area, 
it  i.s  true — but  unexcelled  on  the  face  of  the  globe  for  fertility, 
as  it  is  in  beauty,  and.  one  of  the  most  populous  and  wealthy 
portions  in  the  State  of  Illinois.  This  country  has  heretofore 
been  the  chief  source  from  which  Quincy  has  drawn  her  supply 
of  country  produce,  and  before  the  completion  of  any  Railroad 
terminating  here,  she  drew  simply  by  the  superiority  of  her 
shipping  facilities,  the  trade  of  the  whole  of  this  section,  to  her- 
self, although  much  of  its  produce  had  to  be  hauled  over  heavy 
roads,  a  distance  of  many  miles.  But  since  the  construction  of 
the  Quincy  and  Chicago  Railroad,  leading  north-east  to  Chicago, 
a  distance  of  about  two  hundred  and  eighty  miles,  through 
some  of  the  finest  counties  in  the  State,  a  great  change  has 
taken  place  in  the  character  of  her  trade.  A  new  impetus  has 
been  given  to  every  branch  of  her  commerce,  and  the  area  of 
country  tributary  to  her,  very  greatly  extended. 

To  afford  some  idea  of  the  effect  this  Road  has  had  upon 
her  produce  market,  we  append  a  short  statement  of  the 
amount  of  produce  shipped  to  this  point  from  a  few  of  the 
towns  which  before  its  completion,  were  not  in  existence. 

Camp  Point,  twenty  miles  distant,  the  point  of  junction  of 
the  Quincy  and  Toledo  and  the  Quincy  and  Chicago  Railroads, 
was  in  1855,  a  vacant  prairie — now  it  is  a  flourishng  town,  and 
an  extensive  distributing  point  of  Quincy  goods  and  manufac- 
tures.    There  were  shipped .  from  this  place  to  Quincy,  during 
the  last  five  months  of  185(5,  the  following  amounts  of  produce: 
Wheat,       lll,uOO  bushels,         Corn,  64,000  bushels, 
Oats,  50,000       "  Hogs,  -4,073 

Green  Apples   300  barrels,          Hay,         604  bales, 
Hoop  Poles,     200  cords, 
With  other  unenumerated  articles. 


22 

During  the  same  time,  Paloma,  thirteen  miles  from  the  city 
also  a  new  place,  shipped 

Wheat,  26,112  bushels,  Corn,  36,873  bushels, 

Oats,       14,119       "  Hops,        148  bales. 

And  Tennessee,  fifty  miles  distant, 
Wheat,  40,000  bushels,  Corn,  36,8*73  bushels, 

Oats,         9,000  bushels. 

Many  other  places  on  the  line  of  this  road,  have  shipped  in 
equal  if  not  greater  proportion,  the  statistics  of  which  have  not 
been  obtained.  These  given,  are  accurately  collected  from 
reliable  sources.  Property  along  the  line  of  this  Railroad,  has 
trebled  and  quadrupled  in  value,  and  to  say  that  the  rise  in 
real  estate,  has  been  greatly  more  than  sufficient  to  pay  for  its 
construction,  would  convey  but  a  faint  impression  of  the  facts. 

These  statements  are  made  to  afford  some  data  from  which 
we  may  conceive  of  the  prosperity  and  extent  of  the  commerce 
of  Quincy,  when  the  several  roads  now  projected,  and  under 
process  of  construction,  are  completed.  Of  these,  the  first  in 
order,  will  be  the  Quincy  and  Toledo  Railroad,  which  extends 
from  Camp  Point  to  the  Illinois  River,  a  distance  of  but  thirty- 
two  miles,  over  a  highly  practicable  route.  At  Meredosia  it  will 
connect  with  the  Great  Western  Railroad,  thus  affording  a  new 
and  direct  communication  with  the  East.  It  would  be  idle  to 
speak  of  the  additional  importance  that  will  accrue  to  the 
commerce  of  Quincy,  upon  its  completion.  The  citizens  of 
Quincy  and  of  Brown  County,  through  which  it  passes,  are 
alive  to  its  paramount  importance,  and  have  shown  by  solid 
testimony,  the  interest  which  they  take  in  its  construction. 

The  City  of  Quincy,  on  the  fourth  day  of  April,  last,  voted  a 
subscription  of  $200,000  to  its  capital  stock,  and  Brown  County 
has  voted  $100,000.  Eastern  Capitalists  have  taken  the  matter 
in  hand,  the  grading  is  far  advanced,  ties  are  being  laid,  the 
iron  has  been  purchased,  and  the  time  when  we  may  expect  to 
hear  the  whistle  of  the  first  train  from  Toledo,  is  not  far  distant. 
To  Gen.  J.  W.  Singleton,  the  energetic  President  of  this 


23 

Company,  may  be  ascribed  the  rapid  advancement  of  the  work ; 
and  Quincy  owes  to  him  a  deep  debt  of  gratitude,  for  the 
faithfulness  and  ability  displayed  in  the  extrication  of  the 
Company  from  the  difficulties  which  at  one  time  threatened  to 
indefinitely  delay  the  construction  of  the  Koad. 

Upon  the  completion  of  the  Quincy  and  Toledo  Railroad,  the 
construction  of  the  Quincy  and  Palmyra  Railroad,  will  be  a 
matter  not  only  of  expediency,  but  of  necessity,  and  although 
the  illiberal  and  universe  legislation  of  Missouri,  influenced  by 
the  interested  representations  of  would  be  rival  cities,  have 
seemed  to  overshadow  its  prospects,  it  would  be  utter  absurdity 
to  imagine  that  it  will  not  be  built.  The  Hannibal  and  St. 
Joseph  Railroad,  extending  from  Hannibal  to  St.  Joseph,  Mis- 
souri, a  distance  of  two  hundred  miles  through  the  central 
portion  of  the  State  of  Missouri,  is  now  partially  in  operation, 
and  will  be  completed,  without  doubt,  within  a  year.  It  passes 
through  Palmyra,  a  flourishing  city,  distant  but  fourteen  miles 
from  Quincy,  and  can  any  one  imagine  for  an  instant,  that  this 
slight  hiatus  will  be  allowed  to  exist  between  the  extremities  of 
two  Railroads,  which,  conjoined,  will  stretch  from  the  eastern 
boundary  of  Maine,  to  the  western  border  of  Missouri  ?  The 
people  of  the  two  cities  most  interested,  Quincy  and  Palmyra, 
have  shown  that  they  regard  this  matter  in  its  true  light,  by  the 
subscription  on  the  part  of  Quincy,  of  $100,000,  and  by  Pal- 
myra, of  $50,000,  toward  supplying  this  missing  link  in  this 
great  chain.  Hon.  Samuel  Holmes,  of  this  city,  the  President 
of  the  Company,  has  concluded  negotions  with  Eastern  Capi- 
talists, for  the  additional  funds,  amply  sufficient  to  insure  its 
speedy  completion.  It  is  no  stretch  of  imagination  to  say  that 
the  business  of  Quincy  will  be  doubled  within  one  year  after  the 
construction  of  this  Road.  It  is  intended,  eventually,  to  ex- 
tend the  Hannibal  and  St.  Joseph  Railroad  to  the  Pacific  coast, 
this  route  being  the  most  direct  and  practicable  yet  surveyed. 
Of  the  successful  prosecution  of  this  work,  the  most  sanguine 
hopes  are  entertained.  When  consummated,  what  language  can 


24 

exaggerate  the  commercial  future  of  Quincy.  Situated  upon 
the  Mississippi,  the  longest  navigable  river  in  the  world,  and  a 
central  point  upon  the  most  extended  line  of  Railroad  on  the 
globe,  no  words  could  be  extravagant  in  speaking  of  her  com- 
mercial importance.  The  River,  from  the  frozen  regions  of 
the  north,  and  from  the  orange  groves  of  south,  will  bring  its 
tributes  of  merchandize,  and  the  railway  gathering  the  products 
of  the  rising  and  of  the  setting  suit,  will  lay  them  as  trophies  at 
her  feet. 

Already,  with  the  great  disadvantages  of  transporration  under 
which  she  labors,  Quincy,  in  many  branches  of  manufactures,  is 
enabled  to  compete  successfully  with  Cincinnati  and  St.  Louis, 
in  the  regions  watered  by  the  Missouri  river.  Large  shipments 
of  Household  Furniture,  Wagons,  Plows,  Agricultural  Imple- 
ments of  all  kinds,  and  other  articles,  are  yearly  made  to 
Western  Missouri,  Kansas  and  Nebraska.  If  this  be  now  the 
case,  what  may  we  not  expect  when  we  have  this  direct  and 
cheap  channel  of  transportation.  The  tide  of  emigration  from 
the  East  to  the  Western  States  and  Territories,  long  oppressed 
by  the  absence  of  traveling  facilities,  will  flow  through  our  city, 
bringing  an  influx  of  population  and  wealth,  in  comparison  with 
which,  our  past  advancement  is  nothing. 

Another  Railroad  is  in  contemplation  to  extend  from  Quincy 
to  Lagrange,  Lewis  County,  Missouri,  thence  west  through  Knox, 
Adaire,  and  Sullivan  Counties,  to  Trenton,  the  County  Seat  of 
Grundy  County,  one  hundred  miles  from  Quincy,  thence  through 
Davies,  Harrison,  Gentry,  and  Nodaway  Counties  to  Linden,  the 
County  Seat  of  Atchison  County,  thence  west  to  Omaha  City, 
the  capital  of  Nebraska.  These  are  among  the  finest  counties 
in  the  State  of  Missouri.  The  people  of  Missouri  are  awake  to 
its  importance,  and  mass  meetings  have  been  held  by  the  inhab- 
ants  of  the  counties  along  its  proposed  route,  in  which  such 
spirit  was  manifested,  as  makes  it  evident  that  it  will  inevitably 
be  built,  This  will,  in  all  probability,  be  the  first  railroad  con- 
necting the  Eastern  Cities  with  the  rising  State  of  Nebraska. 


25 


The  County  Court  of  Lewis  County  has  ordered  the  appropria- 
tion of  a  sufficient  sum  for  the  preliminary  survey  of  the  route, 
and  other  steps  have  been  taken  preparatory  to  commencing 
the  work.  That  this  road  will  prove  of  great  benefit,  not  only 
to  Quincy,  but  to  the  portion  of  Missouri  which  it  traverses,  no 
one  in  possession  of  the  facts,  can  doubt.  This  extensive  and 
fertile  scope  of  country  is  peculiarly  in  need  of  an  outlet  for 
its  produce,  and  the  construction  of  the  Quincy,  Lagrange  and 
Trenton  Railroad  will  open  to  it  a  first  class  market,  easily  ac- 
cessible at  all  seasons  of  the  year.  The  simple  expectation  of 
of  its  construction,  has  given  a  fresh  impulse  to  the  country,  its 
population  is  rapidly  increasing,  property  is  rising  rapidly  in 
value,  and  every  department  of  productive  labor  is  receiving 
large  additions.  To  Quincy,  on  the  other  hand,  it  will  open  a 
fine  field  for  the  distribution  of  her  manufactured  articles,  and 
for  the  reception  of  materials. 

A  fifth  road  has  been  agitated,  leading  from  Quincy  south- 
east into  Green  County,  Illinois;  but,  as  yet,  no  definite  steps 
have  been  taken  toward  its  construction. 

A  sixth,  and  apparently  feasible  road,  has  been  proposed, 
leading  southward — to  be  called  the  Mississippi  River  Bottom 
Railroad.  During  the  past  winter,  a  Company  was  organized 
for  the  purpose  of  reclaiming  the  swamp  lands  lying  along  the 
Mississippi  River  in  the  counties  of  Adams,  Pike,  and  Calhoun. 

This  Company,  under  their  organic  act,  are  "  to  construct  a 
levee  from  a  point  near  the  town  of  Millville,  in  the  county  of 
Adams,  along  and  down  the  bank  of  the  Mississippi  river  into 
Calhoun  County  ;  said  levee  to  be  constructed  as  near  the  bank 
of  the  said  river  as  may  be  practicable,  and  which  levee  shall 
be  sufficient  in  heighth,  strength  and  durability  to  effectually 
protect  all  lands  between  said  levee  and  the  bluffs  on  the  eastern 
side  thereof,  from  inundation  or  overflow  by  reason  of  high 
water  from  the  Mississippi  River,  its  sloughs  or  tributaries,  simi- 
lar to  the  great  flood  of  1851."  Now,  it  is  urged  with  apparent 


26 

force  of  reasoning,  that  the  building  of  this  levee  in  the  manner 
specified,  is  virtually  establishing  a  grade  suitable  for  a  Railroad, 
and  that  by  simply  laying  the  ties  and  rails  upon  it,  a  firm  and 
permanent  track  will  be  secured.  The  counties  of  Pike  arid 
Calhoun  having  no  accessible  port  on  the  Mississippi  river,  and 
the  Illinois  being  almost  impassible  during  the  greater  portion 
of  the  year,  the  advantage  to  them  of  "this  connection  with 
Quincy,  is  apparent,  while  the  productions  of  these  fertile  counties 
will  find  their  natural  outlet  at  this  point. 

There  can  be  no  doubt,  that  most,  if  not  all  of  these  roads 
will  be  speedily  constructed;  and  judging  from  the  impetus 
given  to  every  branch  of  business  by  the  completion  of  the 
line  already  in  operation,  we  may  confidently  expect  an  ad- 
vancement in  the  commercial  and  manufacturing  prosperity  of 
Quincy,  seldom,  if  ever  paralleled  even  in  the  history  of  the 
rapidly  growing  cities  of  the  West. 


MANUFACTURING  AND  MERCANTILE   INTERESTS, 


IN  presenting  the  following  statistics,  our  object  is  to  give 
as  accurate  and  detailed  a  statement  as  possible,  of  the  amount 
and  nature  of  the  business  of  Quincy,  in  its  various  branches, 
and  thus  to  enable  the  reader  to  test  the  correctness  of  the 
views  which  we  have  already  expressed,  by  reference  to  actual 
figures.  It  is  a  task  of  no  inconsiderable  difficulty  to  obtain  com- 
plete returns  from  the  great  number  and  variety  of  manufacturing 
and  mercantile  establishments  which  are  here  in  operation.  After 
carrying  our  researches  as  far  as  any  reasonable  amount  of 
time  and  assiduity  could  enable  us,  we  are  compelled  to  admit 
that  the  following  returns  are  in  some  degree  incomplete,  and 
that  taken  as  a  whole,  they  form  an  under-estimate  of  the  actual 
business  of  the  city.  Several  of  our  most  important  manufac- 
tories have  gone  into  operation  so  recently  that  we  have  been 
imable  to  obtain  from  them,  returns  which  might  furnish  sufficient 
data  for  estimating  the  annual  value  of  their  products. 

For  obvious  reasons  we  have  not  thought  proper  to  publish  the 
amount  of  capital  invested  and  business  done  by  individual 
firms,  but  the  aggregates  which  are  given  at  the  end  of  each 
table,  are  made  up  from  actual  and  reliable  statements  ob- 
tained from  some  responsible  member  of  each  establishment. 
To  a  considerable  extent  we  have  combined  large  and  small 
firms  in  the  same  table,  and  no  inference  can  thus  be  drawn 
from  the  aggregate,  as  to  the  business  of  individual  houses. 

The  returns  which  have  formed  the  material  for  these  tables, 
are  made  up  for  the  year  ending  June  1st,  1857.  In  some  re- 
spects they  fail  to  show  the  general  extent  of  the  business  of 


28 

the  city,  partly  because  many  new  firms  have  commenced  busi- 
ness within  that  period,  and  partly  because  Quincy,  in  common 
with]  other  western  cities,  though  in  a  less  degree  than  most, 
has  suffered  from  the  prevailing  pressure  in  the  money  market, 
and  the  comparative  scarcity  of  the  agricultural  products  which 
support  her  trade  with  the  East  and  South.  Notwithstanding 
these  disadvantages,  we  may  safeh  challenge  any  city  of  similar 
population  in  the  West  to  present  an  equally  fair  business 
statement  which  shall  indicate  a  greater  degree  of  prosperity 
than  ours.  It  may  also  be  remarked  that  some  of  our  enter- 
prising firms  have  established  branch  houses  at  Camp  Point, 
Keokuk,  Lagrange,  and  other  neighboring  towns,  which  are  to 
a  considerable  extent,  dependent  upon  Quincy  for  their  supply 
of  imported  and  manufactured  articles.  We  have  no  returns 
from  these  branch  houses,  although  their  operations  virtually 
form  a  part  of  the  business  of  our  city. 


MANUFACTURES. 


Steam  Flour  Mills. 

THE  Manufacture  of  Flour  is  an  important  item  in  the  busi- 
ness of  Quincy.  The  quality  of  the  article  manufacured  here 
is  unsurpassed  by  that  of  any  mills  East  or  West.  To  the  Flour 
of  one  of  our  mills,  the  first  premiun  was  awarded  at  the  great 
National  Exhibition  in  the  City  of  New  York,  in  the  fall  of 
1856.  This  Manufacture  was  established  early,  and  is  now  cun- 
ducted  upon  an  extensive  scale,  and  with  a  large  outlay  of  Capi- 
tal and  labor. 

There  are  in  this  city  six  Flour  Mills  : 

NAME.  BUILDERS  AND  PRESENT  OWNERS.  WHEN  BUILT. 

Castle,  Bagby,  Burns  &  Wood,  1855. 

City,  S.  &  W.  B.  Thayer,  1846. 

Centre,  R.  P.  Coats,  1857. 

Eagle,  Wheeler,  Osborn  &  Co.,  1847. 


29 

Star,  Brown  &  Penfield,  1855. 

Alto,  W.  Homan,  1850. 

These  mills  employ  fifty-one  hands,  consume  annually  660,000 
bushels  of  wheat,  and  manufacture  132,000  barrels  of  flour, 
selling  at  an  average  price  of  $7,00,  making  a  total  value  of 
$924,000.  The  capital  invested  is  $280,000. 

Corn  Meal  and  Feed  Mills. 

There  are  two  of  these,  owned  by  H.  A.  Chase  and  Micheal 
McVay.  They  consume  135,000  bushels  of  corn,  annually. 
The  manufacture  of  these  mills  is  of  a  superior  quality,  and 
the  business  is^profitable  and  increasing. 

Steam  Saw  Mills. 

The  large  importations  of  sawed  lumber  from  the  Upper 
Mississippi,  have  thus  far  prevented  the  establishment  of  Saw 
Mills  in  this  city  on  a  scale  corresponding  with  her  other  man- 
ufactures. The  demand  for  building  material  of  every  descrip- 
tion,' is  immense ;  and  the  manufacture  of  lumber  is  destined  to 
become  a  highly  important  and  profitable  branch  of  business. 
There  are  two  Steam  Saw  Mills,  in  this  city,  viz  : 

STYLE  OF  FIRM.  WHEN    BUILT.  BY  WHOM. 

J.  K.  Vandoorn  &  Co.?  1851,  J.  K.  Vandoorn  &  Co. 

James  Arthur  &  Co.,  1855,  J.  Arthur. 

These  firms  employ  fifty-five  hands,  paying  $22,000  wages 
annually.  The  annual  production  is  as  follows: 

9,500,000  ft  lumber  at  $25,00  per  m., $237,500. 

4,000,000  lath  at  $4,00  per  m., 16,000. 

3,000,000  shingles  at  $4,00  per  m., 12,000. 


Total $265,500 

Capital  invested, $110,000. 

There  are  two  other  Saw  Mills  within  the  immediate  vicinity, 
though  not  within  the  limits  of  the  city,  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  hard  wood  lumber.  The  products  of  these  mills 


30 

are    entirely   consumed   by  the  furniture  and  other  manufac- 
tories of  the  city. 

They  are  owned  by  Mr.  E.  B.  Kimball,  and  Mr.  Andrew 
Wood,  of  Quincy.  These  mills  produce  about  3,000,000  feet 
annually, — worth  $60,000. 


Machine  Shops. 

The  manufacture  of  Steam  Engines  and  other  machinery,  is 
entensively  carried  on  in  this  city.  The  numerous  flour  mills 
and  saw  mills  which  have  been  erected  in  the  vicinity,  during 
the  past  two  years,  have  been  supplied  with  machinery  almost 
exclusively  from  the  Machine  Shops  of  Quincy.  Their  products 
are  extensively  sold  throughout  Illinois,  Missouri  and  Iowa. 
The  quality  of  these  manufactures  compares  favorably  with  that 
of  the  eastern  cities,  and  they  are  quite  as  cheaply  produced.  . 

There  are  four  of  these  establishments  in  the  city  : 

FIRM.  WHEN  ESTABLISHED.  BY  WHOM. 

Brown,  Dimock  &  Co.,        1856,  Brown,  Dimock  &  Co, 

M.  T.  Greenleaf,  1851,  Heberling  &  Greenleaf, 

Worrell  &  Caldwell,  1851,  Worrell  &  Caldwell, 

Gardner  &  Mitchel,  1852,  A.  Campbell. 

These  firms  employ  seventy-two  hands,  whose  yearly  wages 

are  $47,000.     The    value  of  their  manufactures   is   $195,000, 
Capital  invested,  $87,000. 

Stove  Foundry. 

There  is  one  establishment  devoted  to  this  branch  of  manu- 
factures in  this  city.  It  was  built  by  A.  Comstock  &  Co.,  in 
1849.  It  is  one  of  the  largest  establishments  of  its  kind  on  the 
Mississippi  River,  and  the  Stoves  which  it  produces  are  exten- 
sively used  throughout  Illinois  and  the  adjoining  States.  The 
Designs  patented  by  this  firm  are  rapidly  taking  the  place  of 
those  of  more  distant  manufacture.  They  employ  sixty  hands, 
whose  wages  amounted  during  the  past  year  to  $30,232.  They 
consumed  987  tons  Iron,  and  20,000  bushels  of  Coal  and  Coke, 


31 

and   manufactured  9,466   Staves.      Their   sales  amounted    to 
$99,128. 

Foundries. 

The  Foundries  of  Quincy,  do  an  extensive  and  profitable  busi- 
ness— and  the  demand  for  their  products  is  rapidly  increasing. 
The  iron  fronts  of  the  recently  erected  business  houses  on  the 
public  square,  aflbrd  many  creditable  speciments  of  the  skill 
and  taste  displayed  by  the  proprietors  of  our  Foundries.  A 
large  proportion  of  their  castings  are  consumed  by  the  various 
machine  shops  of  our  city — the  remainder  find  ready  sales  in 
Illinois  and  Missouri.  The  following  are  the  principal  firms 
engaged  in  this  business  : 

FIRM.  WHEN  EST'D.  BY  WHOM. 

Brown,  Dimmock  &  Co.,  1845         K.  Sartle. 

M.  T.  Greenleaf,  1856         M.  T.  Greenleaf. 

Worrell  &  Caldwell,  1851         Worrell  &  Caldwell. 

Gardner  &  Mitchell,  1852        A.  Campbell  &  Co. 

These  establishments  employ  fifty-three  hands,  whose  wages 
are  $30,000  a  year.  They  consume  35,000  bushels  Coal  and 
Coke,  and  1,300  tons  of  Iron  per  annum.  The  value  of  their 
annual  manufactures  is~$12'T,000.  Capital  invested  $91,000. 

Stoves  and  Tin-Ware. 

A  large  and  profitable  wholesale  and  retail  business  is  carried 
on  in  Stoves  and  Tin-ware.  Tin-ware  is  extensively  manufac- 
tured, and  the  business  of  selling  and  manufacturing  is  com- 
bined by  several  of  the  leading  firms.  The  names  of  the 
principal  dealers  are  given  below : 

Comstock  &  Co.,  Scheipering  &  Co., 

Howland  &  Jones,  H.  C.  Desbach, 

Henry  Randall,  John  Schlag, 

Bidder  &  Co.,  C.  Jaiger  &  Son. 

These  firms  ^employ  67~_hands,  whose  wages  are  $23,000. 
The  value  of  their  annual  manufactures  is  $185,000. 


32 

Copper  and  Sheet  Iron  Works, 

There  are  two  establishments  of  this  kind  in  Quincy,  carried 
on  by  J.  Williams  and  Henry  Randall:  employing  seven  hands, 
and  turning  out  about  $25,000  worth  of  work  annually. 

Furniture. 

This  branch  of  manufactures  is  extensively  conducted  in  this 
city.  The  names  of  the  four  principal  firms  are  given  below : 

FIRM.  WHEN  KST'D.  BY  WHOM. 

Jansen  &  Smith,  [1838  F.  W.  Jansen. 

A.  Schmidt  &  Son,  1833  A.  Schmidt. 

W.  S.  M.  Anderson,  1855  J.  R.  Wan-en  &  Co. 

F.  Jasper,  1845  F.  Jasper. 

These  firms  employ  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  hands, 
whose  wages  amount  to  $65,800  annually.  The  value  of  their 
manufactures  is  $207,000. 

The  machinery  used  in  these  establishments  is  of  the  most 
improved  construction.  The  material  is  of  the  best  quality, 
and  the  furniture  manufactured  finds  a  ready  and  profitable 
sale  in  this  State,  Missouri,  Iowa  and  Minnesota.  A  large 
capital  is  invested,  which  yields  a  handsome  return  to  the  enter- 
prising firms  engaged  in  this  business.  Besides  the  above, 
there  are  seven  smaller  Factories,  whose  sales  amount  to 
$65,000. 

Wagons, 

There  are  nine  large  establishments  in  this  city  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  Wagons.     The  names  of  the  proprietors  are: 
Timothy  Rogers,  H.  Otten, 

John  Cleveland,  G.  Bennetig, 

B.  F.  Slack,  Henry"  Kniephieder, 

J.  G.  Galbreath,  T.  Neal. 

.    F.  Roth, 
These  shops  furnish  employment  to  eighty-three  hands,  and 


33 

pay  $41,750  wages.  They  make  annually  one  thousand  four 
hundred  and  thirty-five  Wagons,  worth  $107,625.  Besides  this, 
they  do  a  large  repairing  business,  the  amount  of  which  is  not 
obtained.  Timothy  Rogers  has  a  Plow  Factory  connected  with 
this  business,  and  makes  annually  eleven  hundred  Plows,  worth 
$8,800.  These  manufactories  are  supplied  with  lumber  of  the 
first  quality,  by  mills  in  the  vicinity.  The  work  turned  out  by 
these  establishments  is  celebrated  for  its  superiority  throughout 
the  West,  and  everywhere  commands  the  highest  price. 
Wagons  are  shipped  from  this  point  to  Missouri,  Iowa,  Kansas 
and  Nebraska.  There  are,  in  addition  to  the  firms  given  above, 
eight  shops  which  make  each  a  few  Wagons  yearly,  but  whose 
principal  business  is  repairing.  They  employ  twenty-one  hands, 
whose  wages  are  $9,560;  and  the  value  of  their  work  is 
$19,500. 

Carriage  Factories. 

Messrs.  Hayes,  Woodruff  &  Co.,  and  Weaver  &  Miller,  are 
engaged  extensively  in  this  branch  of  manufactures.  They 
employ  sixty-nine  hands,  and  pay  $29,000  wages  yearly.  They 
manufacture  three  hundred  and  fifty  vehicles  annually,  worth 
$83,000. 

In  these  establishments  are  constructed  Coaches,  Omnibuses, 
Rockaways,  Buggies,  Pheatons,  and  Sulkies  of  a  quality  and 
finish  unsurpassed  in  any  manufactory  of  the  kind,  East  or 
West.  The  buildings  occupied  by  these  firms  are  of  ample  di- 
mensions, and  are  well  supplied  with  machinery  of  the  most 
recent  and  improved  construction. 

.         :— c— : 
Agricultural  Implements. 

A  manufactory  of  Agricultural  Implements  was  established 

in  1855  by  Messrs.  Battell,  Woodruff  &  Boyd.  This  firm  em- 
ploys twenty  hands,  whose  wages  amount  to  $8,000. 


34 

They  manufacture  1,000  plows,  worth $8,000 

"  "  150  seed  drills,  worth 12,000 

u  150  corn  planters,  worth 5,250 


$2,5250 

Premiums  have  been  awarded  to  this  firm  for  the  best  plows, 
at  several  State  and  County  exhibitions,  and  all  the  articles 
made  by  them  are  justly  celebrated  for  their  superiority, 
throughout  this,  and  neighboring  States. 

Their  facilities  for  manufacturing  have  heretofore  been  in- 
adequate to  meet  the  demand,  and  extensive  additions  to  their 
establishment  are  meditated. 


Cooperage. 

Below   is  given  a  list   of  the   proprietors   of  the   principal 
establishments  engaged  in  this  branch  of  business  : 
E.  McFarland,  Philip  Thomas, 

W.  F.  Lee,  F.  G.  Walthaus, 

J.  W.  Cook,  G.  Scobbing, 

P.  Sohn,  H.  Bertrand, 

Louis  Lamber,  Herman  Wilbert, 

T.  Bringhall,  M.  Coldenbaugh. 

Valdin  Ertel, 

These  firms  give  employment  to  one  hundred  and  forty-five 
hands,  whose  wages  yearly  amount  to  $51,000.  They  manu- 
facture annually  98,000  flour  barrels,  28,000  pork  barrels, 
35,000  whisky  and  alcohol  barrels^and  a  great  number  of 
hogsheads,  half-hogsheads  and  tierces.  Several  of  these  firms 
employ  steam. "power,  and  use  machinery  of  the  most  improved 
and  efficient  character.  In  addition  to  the  firms  above  enumer- 
ated, there  are  several  others  who  prosecute  this  business  upon 
a  gmaller  scale.  Although  this  branch  of  manufactures  is 
extensively  carried  on  in  the  city,  it  is  inadequate  to  supply  the 


35 


TT 


1 i >  j  i 


J  3  .»      •* 

demand,  and  many  barrels, "ate  /&nauai^y  i'mpo?c'e^frdiu  tj^e  • 
surrounding  country  to  supply  the,  wants)  of  o'ur'miil^i'S/  pbrk--  " 
packers  and  distillers.  !?..*•»  ^  A  JJ->  \  _J 


Pumps. 

Messrs.  Mellen,  Sprague  &  Co.  are  extensively  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  Endless  Chain  Pumps,  producing  an  ample 
supply  for  home  consumption,  and  for  sale  in  the  surrounding 
country.  Mr.  E.  Weaver  deals  largely  in  the  manufacture  and 
sale  of  Suction  Well  and  Cistern  Pumps. 

•--*"*-  '     •~"u~""*          "  "" 

Bricks. 

In  a  rapidly  growing  city  the  production  of  materials  for 
building  is  an  object  of  the  first  importance.  Quincy  has  been 
peculiarly  fortunate  in  possessing  a  constant  supply  of  cheap 
and  desirable  brick,  which  has  kept  pace  with  the  immense  de- 
mand which  has  existed  during  the  past  few  years.  The  manu- 
facturers of  this  article  in  this  city  deserve  much  credit  for  the 
excellent  quality  of  the  material  of  which  our  business  houses 
and  public  buildings  are  constructed.  The  clay,  which  is  found 
abundantly  in  this  vicinity,  is  said  by  experienced  manufacturers 
to  be  unrivalled  for  the  purposes  of  brick-making ;  and  the 
cheapness  of  fuel  renders  the  production  of  this  article  much 
less  expensive  than  elsewhere.  They  are  generally  afforded  at 
the  rate  of  $5,00  per  M.  While  selling  thus  cheaply,  and 
paying  liberal  wages,  the  manufacturers  find  this  branch  of 
business  highly  remunerative.  Subjoined  is  a  list  of  the  princi- 
pal firms : 

Fletcher,  Pine  &  Co.,  Sander  &  Bcrnsen, 

Delemater  &  Gerry,  William  Weber, 

H.  Sundermann,  Krump  &  Frazier, 

Henry  Fasthoff,  G.  Koch. 

One  of  the  firms  engaged  in  this  manufacture  have  introduced 


36 

c  c     **-*•     (  ^  *~     f,     *  ,      *•  t-    ^-       ^ 

a  rcc-ecitlj   myented^ctemof  £te.am  machinery  by  which  the 

c<<«r»  •     *"  4  C 

rapidity  of  production,  ^ancj,  the  quality  of  the  brick  are  very 
greatly  ^improved.  Pressed  brick  are  made  in  large  quantities, 
and  form  ah  excellent  and  highly  ornamental  material  for  the 
fronts  of  business  houses,  dwellings,  &c.  The  Brick-makers  of 
Quincy  are  not  surpassed  by  any  class  of  our  manufacturers  in 
the  energy  and  skill  with  which  their  business  is  prosecuted, 
and  the  peculiarly  neat  and  tasteful  appearance  of  the  business 
portion  of  the  city  is,  in  a  great  measure,  attributable  to  the 
excellent  quality  of  their  products. 

The  season  of  brick-making  for  185*7  not  being  ended,  the 
statistics  of  last  year  are  given,  with  an  estimate  of  this  year's 
work. 

The  number  of  workmen  employed  during  the  summer  of 
1856,  was  119,  whose  wages  amounted  to  $26,304,  and  the 
amount  made  was  25,500,000  brick.  The  quantity  this  season 
will  exceed  that  of  the  last,  about  twenty-five  per  cent,  so  that 
we  may  set  down  thenumberas  31,  875,  000  which  at  $5,00  per 
m,  amount  to  the  value  of  $159,375 


Lime. 

There  are  three  firms  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  lime, 
viz  : 

Swift  &  Young,  Zimmermann  &  Zepp. 

A.  Carroll. 

They  employ  fifteen  hands,  producing  140,000  bushels  of 
Lime,  worth  at  present  rates  $42,000.  One  of  these  firms  has 
in  operation  "Page's  Perpetual  Draw  Lime  Kiln,"  the  capacity 
of  which  is  three  hundred  bushels  per  day.  The  liine-stone 
which  is  found  in  the  vicinity  is  of  the  first  quality,  and  the 
article  produced  is  unexcelled.  The  price  which  it  commands 
at  this  point  is  unusually  high,  owing  to  the  extensive  demand 
for  building  purposes. 

* 
*  '  *-  _•  "j-— 


37 

Marble  Works. 

There  are  two  establishments  of  this  kind  in  the  city,  conduct- 
ed by  A.  G.  Anderson  and  John  Button.  They  employ 
fourteen  hands,  and  the  annual  value  of  their  manufactures  is 
$27,000.  They  cut  all  kinds  of  Monuments,  Furniture, 
Marble,  &c. 

Wooden  Works. 

Messrs.  Potter  &  Hawke  are  engaged  in  this  branch  of 
manufactures.  A  great  deal  of  ingenuity  has  been  manifested 
in  the  construction  and  arrangement  of  the  machinery  used  by 
this  firm.  Their  steam  engine  is  a  beautiful  specimen  of 
mechanical  skill.  They  manufactured  during  the  last  year 
eight  hundred  dozen  Half-bushel  Measures,  and  are  now  pro- 
ducing weekly  twenty-five  dozen  Split-bottom  Chairs,  with  a 
large  quantity  of  Wash-boards,  Broom-handles,  &c.  They 
employ  ten  hands,  and  the  annual  value  of  their  manufactures 
u  $15,000. 

Boilers. 

There  are  two  firms  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  Boilers, 
viz: 

FIRM.  WHEN  ESTABLISHED. 

Scharden  &  Knapp,  1856. 

H.  Stagmiller,  1857. 

They  employ  sixteen  hands,  whose  wages  are  $7,250.  The 
value  of  their  annual  manufactures  is  $47,000.  The  work 
produced  is  of  the  first  quality,  and  large  additions  to  these 
establishments  are  contemplated. 

Planing  Mills. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  principal  firms  engaged  in  this 
branch  of  business  in  Quincy  : 


38 

H.  Allen  &  Co.,  Mellen,  Sprague  &  Co., 

Gould  &  Allen,  Thomas  Benneson, 

Houghton  &  Wooters,  C.  H.  Howland  &  Co. 

These  firms  produce  annually  about  5,000,000  feet  of  Dressed 
Lumber.  .They  employ  sixty-three  hands,  and  pay  $30,700 
wages  yearly,  in  this  business,  and  in  the  manufacture  of  Sash, 
Blinds,  Doors  and  Frames,  which  is  also  extensively  carried  on 
by  most  of  those  above  enumerated.  The  amount  of  the 
annual  manufactures  of  these  establishments,  apart  from  the 
value  of  the  raw  material,  is  $126,000. 

Grain  Distilleries. 

There  are  four  Grain  Distilleries  now  in  operation  in  the  city: 

FIRM.  WHEN  EST'D.  BY  WHOM. 

S.  &  W.  B.  Thayer,  1849  S.  &  W.  B.  Thayer. 

John  Schell,  Jr.,  &  Co.,      1856  John  Schell,  Jr.,  &Co. 

Thomas  Jasper,  1845  W.  L.  King. 

James  King,  1855  J.  King. 

These  firms  employ  ninety -two  hands,  whose  wages  amount 
yearly  to  $34,240. 

They  consume — Small  Grain, 124,200  bushels. 

Corn, 481,800  bushels. 

They  manufacture  annually  45,500  barrels  of  High  Wines,  worth 
$637,000.  They  feed  9,300  Hogs,  and  3,000  head  of  Cattle. 
The  capital  invested  in  this  business  is  $355,000. 

, •       ^\ •     ,  _ 

Alcohol   Distilleries. 

There  are  two  Distilleries  of  this  article  in  operation  : 

FIRM.  WHEN  EST'D.  BY  WHOM. 

S.  &  W.  B.  Thayer,  1855.  S.  &  W.  B.  Thayer. 

John  Schell,  Jr.,  &  Co.,    1856.  J.  Schell,  Jr.,  &  Co. 

These  establishments   employ    six   men,    and    manufacture 


39 

annually  five  thousand  barrels  of  Alcohol,  of  the  value  of 
$105,000.  The  capital  invested  in  these  Distilleries  is  $43,000. 
The  greater  portion  of  the  products  of  these  establishments  is 
shipped  to  Southern  and  Eastern  markets,  where  its  superior 
quality  always  commands  the  highest  price. 


Breweries. 

Quincy  is  celebrated  for  the  quality  of  the  Beer  manufac- 
tured at  her  Breweries.  There  are  five  of  these  within  the 
city  limits.  The  following  are  the  names  of  the  proprietors : 

F.  Kampman,  A.  Delabar, 

G.  Theiss,  M.  Schultheise. 
C,  Rouff, 

These  Breweries  consume  16,000  bushels  Barley,  and  15,000 
pounds  Hops,  and  manufacture  17,500  kegs  of  Beer,  of  the 
value  of  $35,000.  There  are  several  other  of  these  in  operation 
near  Quincy,  but  outside  the  city  limits. 

K 

Soda  Water. 

There  are  three  manufactories  of  this  article  in  the  city,  viz: 
Lampe  &  Boschulter,  Wm.  Keiser, 

Grone  &  Dierholt, ' 

They  employ  eighteen  hands,  and  manufacture  annually 
100,000  dozen  bottles,  worth  $35,000.  Much  of  this  is  shipped 
to  neighboring  towns. 


Vinegar  Manufactory. 

There  is  one  of  these  establishments  in  operation,  carried 
on  by  Joseph  Wolf.  He  makes  650  barrels  Vinegar,  worth 
$3,575. 


40 

Hope  Walk. 

There  is  one  Rope-walk  in  operation  in  Quincy,  owned  by  H. 
C.  Prentiss  &  Co.  They  employ  10  hands,  whose  wages  are 
$4,600  yearly.  They  manufacture  Rope,  Cord,  Twine,  Packing 
Yarn,  &c.,  to  the  value  of  $26,000  annually.  The  enterprising 
proprietors  of  this  establishment  meditate  an  enlargement  of 
their  business  during  the  ensuing  year,  as  the  superior  quality 
of  the  article  which  they  produce  has  created  a  demand  which, 
with  their  present  facilities,  they  are  unable  to  supply. 


Printing. 

There  are  published  daily  and  weekly  the  following  papers  : 
Quincy  Herald,  Wm.  M.  Avise  &  Co.,  Publishers. 

Quincy  Whig,  John  T.  Morton,  Publisher. 

Quincy  Republican,     H.  V.  Sullivan  &  Co.,  Publishers. 
There  are,  besides  these,  two  German  weekly  papers,  viz : 
The  Quincy  Tribune,  E.  C.  Winters,  Publisher. 

The  Quincy  Courier,  George  Lintz,  Publisher. 

These  papers  are  well  supported,  and  have  an  extensive 
circulation.  The  Book  and  Job  Printing  business  is  carried  on 
at  these  offices  upon  a  large  scale,  and  their  work  is  executed 
in  a  neat  and  elegant  style. 

There  is  one  establishment  owned  by  Messrs.  GeSger  &  Co., 
devoted  exclusively  to  Book  and  Job  Printing. 


Soap  and  Candles. 

There  are  two  firms  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  Soap  and 
Candles : 

FIRM.  WHEN  EST'D.  BY  WHOM. 

Bishop  &  By  water,  1850  G.  By  water. 

H.  Rupp,  1852  H.  Rupp. 


41 

Book  Binderies. 

There  are  three  of  these  in  the  city,  viz : 

FIRM.  WHEN    EST'I).  BY    WHOM. 

Walter  Reynolds,  1840,  Karnes  &Wood?. 

Gardner  and  White,  1856,  Gardner  &  White. 

F.  G.  Fisher,  1857,  F.  G.  Fisher. 

These  firms  employ  eight  hands.  The  value  of  their  annual 
work  is  $8,500.  They  are  in  possession  of  the  latest  improve- 
ments for  Ruling,  Ornamental  Work,  &c.,  and  the  style  of  their 
work  is  excellent. 


Saddle  and  Harness  Makers. 

There  are  five  firms  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  these 
articles,  viz: 

FIRM.  WHEN  EST'n.  BY  WHOM. 

Bernard  &  Lockwood,         1847,  Bernard  &  Lockwood. 

B.  Koch  &  Son,  1840,  B.  Koch. 

Kull&Duker,  1855,  Kull  &  Duker. 

M.  Ohnemus,  1851,  M.  Ohnemus. 

J.  M.  Bradford,  1855,  Bradford  &  Cofflin. 

These  firms  employ  forty-one  hands,  whose  wages  amount  to 
$14,700.  The  value  of  their  manufactures  is  $84,000.  The 
quality  of  the  work  turned  out  by  these  firms  is  not  excelled  in 
durability,  or  style  of  finish,  by  that  of  any  manufactured  East 
or  West.  Their  products  meet  with  a  ready  and  extensive  sale, 
and  their  business  is  rapidly  increasing.  Some  of  the  buildings 
appropriated  to  this  branch  of  business  have  been  recently 
enlarged,  and  their  facilities  for  manufacturing  greatly  increased. 


Confectionery. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  manufacturers  of  this  article  in 
the  city : 


42 

FIRM.  WHEN  EST'n.  BY  WHOM. 

A.  C.  Lornilcno,  1849,  A.  C.  Lomilcno. 
Wm.jBrown,                         1849,  W.  Brown. 

3.  Fisher,  1850,  3.  Fisher. 

J.  C.  Palmer,  1842,  O.Kendall. 

Wm.  Harris,  1853,  Wm.  Harris. 

J.  Q.  A.  Connor,  1855,  Bowers  &  Munroe. 

B.  0.  Mikesell,  185G,  B.  0.  Mikesell. 
The  number   of  hands  employed  by  these   firms   is  thirty. 

Amount  of  manufactures,  $98,000.     Several  of  these  carry  on, 
in  connection  with  this  business,  the  manufacture  of  Crackers. 
There   are  several  other  smaller  establishments,  whose  sales 
amount  to  about  $30,000. 


Gas  Works. 

In  the  fall  of  1854  Gas  Works  were  erected  in  this  city,  and 
have  since  been  in  successful  operation.  We  have  been  subject- 
ed to  but  little  of  the  annoyance  usually  attending  the  intro- 
duction of  Gas,  arising  from  a  bad  article,  or  an  inadequate 
supply ;  generally  the  supply  has  been  abundant,  and  the  quality 
superior.  It  has  been  introduced  into  our  public  buildings, 
churches,  stores,  and  many  private  residences.  It  was  first 
lighted  in  December,  1854.  At  that  time  there  were  sixty-five 
Street  Lamps,  one  hundred  and  fifty  Meters,  and  three  and  a 
half  miles  of  Street  Main  laid.  There  are  now  laid  seven  miles 
of  Street  Main;  the  number  of  Street  Lamps  is  two  hundred 
and  forty,  and  there  are  two  hundred  and  eighty  Meters. — 
During  the  year  ending  June  1st,  1857,  there  were  consumed 
in  the  manufacture  of  Gas — 

Pittsburgh  Coal 15,107  bushels. 

Illinois  Coal 5,014  bushels. 

Total 20,121  bushels. 


43 

The  amount  of  Gas  produced  was  4,982,773  feet,  which,  at 
thirty-five  cents  per  hundred,  amounts  to  $17,439  70. 

These  Works  are  carried  on  by  the  "  Quincy  Gas  Company," 
a  chartered  association,  whose  capital  stock  is  $80,000.  The 
officers  of  this  Company  are  as  follows : 

K.  S.  Benneson,  President.         Edward  Everett,  Secretary. 

DIRECTORS: 

L.  Bull,  James  M.  Pitman, 

J.  D.  Morgan,  N.  Flagg, 

J.  W.  Singleton,  Thomas  Pratt. 

Alfred  Carr, 

W.  H.  Corley,  Superintendent. 


MERCANTILE  INTERESTS. 


Dry  Goods. 

Though  many  of  the  Dry  Goods  houses  in  the  city  are 
extensively  engaged  in  the  wholesale  trade,  yet  there  is  a  retail 
department  connected  with  each  of  them. 

These  houses  furnish  a  supply  of  domestic  and  imported 
goods  to  a  large  extent  of  countrv.  Country  merchants,  to 
whom  this  market  is  accessible,  finding  that  our  dealers  are 
able  and  willing  to  duplicate  the  bills  of  Chicago  and  St.  Louis, 
prefer  to  make  their  purchases  here,  rather  than  at  more  dis- 
tant points.  The  well-known  responsibility  of  our  leading 
firms  enables  them  to  purchase  in  the  Atlantic  cities  on  the 
most  favorable  terms.  The  following  is  a  list  of  the  principal 
dealers : 

FIRM.  WHEN  EST'l).  15 Y  WHOM. 

Henry  Root,  1840,  Root  &  Fisher. 

Sawyer,  Graves  &  Co.,       1849,  Sawyer  &  Adams. 

Ladd,  Wheeler  &  Co.,         1850,  C.  Ladd  &  Co. 


44 

FIRM.  WHEN  EST'D.  BY  WHOM. 

Brown,  Dimmock  &  Co.,    1834,  Brown  &  Dimmock. 

S.  M.  Culver  &  Co.,  1857,  S.  M.  Culver  &  Co. 

W.  S.  M.  Anderson,  1843,  Thomas  Pope. 

A.  Inness,  1856,  A.  Inness. 

James  Fisher,  1846,  J.  Fisher. 

N.  T.  Lane,  1852,  N.  T.Tane. 

Wheeler  &  Cooper,  1857,  Wheeler  &  Cooper. 

S.  J.  Lesem,  1854,  S,  J.  Lesem. 

These  firms  employ  thirty-nine  assistants,  and  do  an  annual 
business  to  the  amount  of  $610,000.  In  addition  to  these,  there 
are  ten  or  twelve  establishments  of  an  exclusively  retail  char- 
acter, whose  sales  amount  to  $125,000.  A  stranger  visiting 
the  city  is  agreeably  impressed  with  the  taste  and  magnificence 
displayed  in  the  construction  and  fitting  up  of  many  of  our 
Dry  Goods  houses. 


Hardware. 

There  are  four  firms  in  the  city  engaged  in  the  Hardware 
business.  Their  stocks  are  extensive,  and  well  selected.  They 
wholesale  largely  to  country  merchants,  and  also  do  a  large 
retail  trade : 

FIRM.  WHEX  EST'D.  BY  WHOM. 

Bertschinger  &  Steinwedell  1852,        Bertschinger  &  Stein wedell. 
L.  &  C.  H.  Bull,  1845,        L.  &  C.  H.  Bull. 

Snow  &  Wiltberger,  1856,        Snow  &  Wiltberger. 

J.  S.  Van  Buren,  1856,        J.  S.  Van  Buren. 

These  firms  employ  thirteen  assistants,  and  sell  annually  to 
the  amount  of  $280,000.  They  import  extensively,  although 
the  bulk  of  their  stock  is  of  American  manufacture.  They  are 
enabled  to  sell  at  as  low  rates  as  are  afforded  in  any  of  the 
Western  cities. 

Among  these  firms  are  enumerated  some  of  the  most   enter- 


45 

prising  business  men  of  Quincy,  and  no  efforts  are  spared  by 
them  to  keep  in  store  complete  assortments,  and  to  meet  custo- 
mers on  as  favorable  terms  as  are  extended  elsewhere.  They 
are  largely  engaged  in  the  sale  of  agricultural  implements,  and 
are  agents  for  the  various  Reapers,  Mowers,  &c.,  which  are 
now  coming  into  extensive  use  throughout  the  Western 
country. 

Iron. 

There  are  three  firms  engaged  in  the  Iron  trade,  viz  : 

FIRM.  WHEN  EST'D.  BY  WHOM. 

Thayer  &  Co.,  1855,  Thayer  &  Co. 

A.  V.  Humphrey  &  Co.,       1855,  A.  V.  Humphrey  &  Co. 

S.  &  E.  Jonas,  1844,  S.  &  E.  Jonas. 

These  firms  employ  eleven  hands,  and  sell  annually,  $145,000 
worth  of  Iron  and  heavy  Hardware.  Owing  to  our  facilities  for 
transportation,  and  consequent  cheapness  of  freight,  large 
supplies  of  this  article  can  be  advantageously  procured  and 
profitably  disposed  of,  at  comparatively  low  rates.  The  stocks 
kept  on  hand  by  these  establishments,  are  large  and  comprise 
the  most  excellent  varieties  of  foreign  and  domestic  manufac- 
ture. 

Leather. 

There  are  two  firms  engaged  in  the  sale  of  leather : 

FIRM.  WHEN  EST'D.  BY  WHOM. 

Bernard  &  Lockwood,  1847,  Bernard  &  Lockwood. 

Charles  Selmer,  1857,  C.  Selmer. 

These  firms  employ  seven  hands,  and  sell  annually  to  the 
amount  of  $35,000.  Messrs.  Bernard  &  Lockwood,  in  connec- 
tion with  their  leather  trade,  sell  $5,000  worth  of  Saddlery 
Hardware,  and  $15,000  worth  of  hides. 


46 

Forwarding  and  Commission  Houses, 

STYLE  OF  FIRM.  WHKN  EST'D.  BY  WHOM. 

B.  M.  Prentiss  &  Co.,  1854,         Coats,  Hedges  &  Co. 

S.  C.  Thompson  &  Co.,  1856,         S.  C.  Thompson. 

J.  Hedges  &  Co.,  1856,         J.  Hedges  &  Co. 

A.  C.  Lightfoot  &  Co.,  1855,         A.  C.  Lightfoot  &  Co. 

J.  B.  Bennett,  1853,         J.  B.  Bennett. 

J.  H.  Smith  &  Co.,  1856,         J.  II.  Smith  &  Co. 

Thayer  &  Co.,  1855,         Thayer  &  Co. 

These  firms  employ  thirty-three  hands.     They    received  du- 
ring the  six  months  ending  July  1st,  1857  : 

Wheat 259,574  bushels. 

Corn 268,321  bushels. 

Oats 88,456  bushels. 

Rye  and  Barley 6,312  bushels. 

Ship-stuff 31,642  pounds. 

Packages 16,443 

Their  shipments  during  the  same  period  were  as  follows : 

Wheat. 118,872  bushels. 

Corn 145,942  bushels. 

Oats 60,292  bushels. 

Flour 37,850  barrels. 

Packages 14,187 

Wholesale  Groceries. 

There   are  three  Wholesale   Groceries   in  Quiucy.     The  fol- 
lowing are  the  names  of  the  proprietors : 

STYLE  OF  FIRM.  WHEN  EST^D.  DY  WHOM. 

A.  &  L.  Buddee,  1855,         A.  &  L.  Buddee. 

J.  T.  Baker,  1849,         Allen  &  Baker. 

A.  V.  Humphrey  &  Co.,  1855,         A.  V.  Humphrey  &  Co. 

These  firms  employ  thirteen  hands.     Annual  sales,  $321,000. 
These    enterprising    firms   have  in   a  very   short   time,    from 




comparatively  small  beginnings,  succeeded  in  establishing  an 
extensive  and  profitable  business,  which  is  now  rapidly  increas- 
ing. 


Wholesale  and  Retail  Groceries. 

In  addition  to  the  exclusively  wholesale  firms  above  mentioned, 
there  are  several  establishments  in  which  the  wholesale  and 
retail  trade  are  combined.  We  enumerate  the  principal  ones : 

STYLE    OF    FIRM.  WHEN    KST?J).  BY  WHOM. 

Weaver  &  Berry,                     1856,  E.  Weaver. 

Church  &  Fell,                          1845,  C.  B.  Church. 

M.  W.  Smith  &  Son,                1851,  M.  W.  Smith  &  Son. 

J.  B.  Merssman,                       1846,  J.  B.  Mcrssman. 

F.  Werner,                               1853,  F.  Werner. 

A.  Goodpasturc,                      1854,  A.  Goodpasture. 

Palmer  &  Son,                          1857,  Palmer  &  Son. 

Edward  Wcisenberg,              1846,  McLean  &  Wiesenberg. 

L.  L.  Ward,                             1845,  Wai d  &  Goodpasture. 
These  establishments   employ  twenty-three  hands,  and   sell 

annually  $184,500.  There  are  some  twenty  smaller  establish- 
ments besides  the  above,  whose  sales  in  the  aggregate,  probably 
amount  to  as  much  more. 


Variety  Stores. 

FIRM.  WHEN  EST'D.  BY  WHOM. 


A.  Konantz, 

1845, 

A.  Konantz. 

Leopold  Arntzen, 

1850, 

Ricker  &  Anrtzen. 

Kathman  &  Kramer. 

1850, 

Kathman  &  Kramer. 

A.  J.  Lubbe, 

1851, 

A.  J.  Lubbe. 

F.  Bembrock, 

1852, 

F.  Bembrock. 

John  Borbeck, 

1854, 

J.  Borbeck. 

John  Kinkle, 

1855, 

John  Kinkle. 

George  Sehulthcise, 

1848, 

G.  Schultheise. 

48  -     . 

These  establishments  employ,  twenty-four  hands^  and  sell 
annually  to  the  amount  of  $279,000.  The  names  of  only  the 
principal  dealers  are  given  above.  In  addition  to  these  there 
are  nearly  a  hundred  smaller  houses,  whose  stocks  are  of  a  mis- 
cellaneous character,  whose  annual  sales  amount  to  a  very  consid- 
erable sum,  some  of  them  doing  quite  an  extensive  business. 

"""™"  •^™c*1      • 

Rectifiers  and  Liquor  Dealers. 

There  are  in  the  city  the  following  Rectifiers  and  Liquor 
Dealers : 

FIRM.  WHEN  EST'D.  BY  WHOM. 

A.  &  L.  Buddee,  1855,  A.  &  L.  Buddee. 

"J.  &  P.  Schell,  1856,  J.  &  P.  Schell. 

Sam'l  Ramsay,  1849,  T.  Jasper. 

Jacob  Keis,  1853,  M.  Keis. 

John  Rentz,  1857,  John  Rentz. 

These  firms  employ  twenty-one  hands,  whose  wages  are 
$6,900.  They  sell  annually  $205,120  worth  of  Liquors. 

._c_. 

Lumber. 

The  following  are  the  principal  dealers  in  Lumber,  Shingles, 
Lath,  &c. : 

Benneson  &  Co.,  J.  M.  Pitman, 

Howland  &  Wood,  Amos  Green, 

H.  Allen  &  Co.,  John  Mikesell. 

Winnekar  &  Co., 

These  firms  imported  during  the  past  year  16,750,000  feet  of 
Pine  Lumber,  7,870,000  Shingles,  and  2,320,000  Lath. 

•      f\m    • 
,—v~". 

Clothing  Stores. 

There  are  a  considerable  number  of  Clothing  Stores  in  the 
city.  We  give  below  the  names  of  the  principle  firms  engaged 
in  this  branch  of  business  : 


49 

*  * 

STYLE  OF  FIRM.  WHEN  ESl'D.  BY  WHOM. 

Powers  &  Finlay,  1847;  W.  B.  Powers.  ' 

M.  Jacobs,  1851,  M.  Jacobs. 

D.  Hermann,  1852,  D.  Hermann. 

Samuel  &  Bro.,  1856,  Samuel  &  Bro. 

S.  J.  Lesem,  1854,  S.  J.  Lesem. 

These  firms  employ  fifty-three  hands  in  the  manufacture  and 
sale  of  clothing.  The  larger  portion  of  their  stock  is  purchased 
in  the  .Eastern  cities.  Their  annual  sales  amuont  to 
$186,000. 


-i— o— :• 


Merchant  Tailors. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  principal  Merchant  Tailors  : 

STYLE  OP  FIRM.  WHEN  ESl'D.  BY  WHOM. 

J.  A.  Parker,  1854,  J.  A.  Parker. 

J.  P.  Bert,  Jr.,  1847,  J.  P.  Bert,  Sr.     • 

S.  L.  Poole,  -    1851,  S.  L.  Poole. 

A.  Dunlavy,  1857,     ••       A.  Dunlavy. 

H.  Waffman,  1856,  H.  WafFman. 

These  firms  employ  sixty-three  hands,  and  the  value  of  the 
work  done  annually  in  their  establishments  is  $181,000.  Besides 
this  their  sales  of  furnishing  goods  are  extensive.  A  large 
number  of  smaller  establishments  are  not  enumerated. 

Books  and  Stationery. 

There  are  five  firms  engaged  in  the  sale  of  Books  and  Sta- 
tionery, viz  : 

FIRM.  WHEN  EST'D.  BY  WHOM. 

J.  R.  Dayton,  1840,  X.  Flagg. 

G.  A.  Miller,  1839,  G.  A.  Miller. 

George  W.  Winans,  1853,  G.  W.  Winans. 


50 

FIRM.  WHEN  EST'P.  BY  WHOM. 

Tobin  &  Smith,  1857,  Tobin  &  Smith. 

Charles  Schmidt,  1856,  C.Schmidt. 

They  employ  eleven  assistants,  and  sell  annually  to  the 
amount  of  $96,000.  One  of  these  houses  is  just  established, 
and  has  no  statistics,  but  whose  sales  will  probably  increase 
the  amount  to  $135,000.  These  firms  are  constantly  in  receipt 
of  the  latest  publications,  and  spare  no  pains  in  keeping  up  the 
extent  and  variety  of  their  stocks. 


•      r\      • 

-•— 0— •- 


Drug  Business. 

The  following  firms  are  engaged  in  the  wholesale   and  retail 
trade  in  Drugs  and  Medicines  in  the  city  : 

FIRM.  WHEN  EST'D.  BY  WH9M. 

H.  H.  Hoffman,  1850,  Hoffman  &  Bro. 

Kogers  &  Co.,  1845,  S.  B.  Hoffman. 

F.  Flachs  &  Co.,  1845,  F.  Flachs. 

Geo.  A.  Miller,  1839,  G.  A.  Miller. 

C.  H.  Morton,  1845,  Dr.  Doway. 

A.  Stutte,  1853,  Stutte  &  Arntzen. 

These  houses  employ  twenty-one   assistants,  and  their   sales 
amount  to  $158,000. 


Boots  and  Shoes. 

There  are  four  firms  engaged  in  the  sale  of  Boots  and  Shoes 
at  wholesale  and  retail,  viz  : 

FIRM.  WHEN  EST'D.  BY  WHOM. 

E.  K.  Stone  &  Co.,  1840,  E.  K.  Stone. 

C.  0.  Godfrey,  1850,  E.  W.  Godfrey. 

C.  Brown,  Jr.,  1851,  J.  M.  Caffrey. 

A.  Maxwell.  1857,  A.  Maxwell. 


51 

They  employ  eleven  assistants,  and  their  sales  amount  to 
$182,000.  These  firms  purchase  directly  from  the  manufactur- 
ers, most  of  their  goods  being  made  to  order.  Their  stocks 
are  at  all  times  complete,  and  they  are  prepared  to  sell  at  whole- 
sale upon  as  favorable  terms  as  are  to  be  had  in  any  other 
Western  market.  There  are  also  over  20,000  pairs  Boots  and 
Shoes  manufactured  here,  worth  $50,000. 


Auction  Houses. 

There  are  two  houses  engaged  in  this  line  of  business,  carried 
on  by  T.  H.  Brougham  and  Charles  B.  Cook.  From  the  nature  of 
their  business  it  is  impossible  to  arrive  at  very  accurate  returns 
of  their  sales  of  merchandise,  but  they  amount  to  about 

$75,000. 


Watches  and  Jewelry. 

An  extensive  trade  is  carried  on  in  Quincy  in  these  articles. 
The  names  of  the  principal  dealers  are  given  below : 

FIRM.  WHEN  EST'D,  BY  WHOM. 

I  E.  W.  Parsons,  1853,  Archer  &  Parsons. 

J.  W.  Brown,  1855,  J.  W.  Brown. 

|  F.  Waldin,  1852,  F.  Waldin. 

T.  J.  Harris,  1857,  T.  J.  Harris. 

Tobin  &  Smith,  1857,  Tobin  &  Smith. 

The  two  firms  last  enumerated  have  but  just  commenced 
business,  and  consequently  we  have  no  statistics  from  them. 
The  three  former  employ  twelve  assistants,  and  sell  annually 
$81,000  worth  of  Watches  and  Jewelry.  There  are  several 
other  establishments,  which  are  principally  engaged  in  Repair- 
ing. 

LIBRARY 


52 

China,  Glass  and  Queensware. 

There  is  one  establishment  engaged  in  this  business  in  the 
city,  conducted  by  Alfred  Gatchell,  which  was  established  in 
1854  by  Win.  H.  Gage.  In  point  of  variety  and  extent  this 
stock  is  not  excelled  by  that  of  any  similar  house  in  the  State. 
The  business  of  this  house  is  large,  and  its  increase  during  the 
past  year  has  been  so  great  that  its  present  facilities  of  store 
room,  &c.,  have  been  found  insufficient,  and  the  proprietor  will 
in  a  few  weeks  remove  his  stock  into  one  of  the  finest  store- 
rooms in  the  city.  He  is  prepared  to  meet  country  dealers  upon 
terms  quite  as  favorable  as  are  offered  in  St.  Louis  or  Chicago, 
being  a  direct  importer  from  the  English  manufacturers. 

,_-_-.,-_  ,        *      f>     _•  -  , 

Tobacco  and  Cigars. 

The  following  are  the  principal  firms  engaged  in  this  business: 

FIRM.  WHEN  EST'D.  BY  WHOM. 

F.  Hanke,  1855,  F.  Hanke. 

H.  Hellhake,  1853,  H.  Hellhake. 

C.  C.  Klene,  1849,  C.  C.  Klene. 

F.  Cook,  1854,  F.  Cook. 

They  employ  seventeen  hands,  and  their  sales  amount  to 
$66,000.  There  are  several  smaller  houses,  whose  sales  are 
about  $35,000. 


Hats  and  Caps. 

The  following  houses  are  engaged  in  this  business,  viz  : 

FIRM.  WHEX  EST'D.  BY  WHOM. 

Laage  &  Barnum,  1841,  G.  J.  Laage. 

J.  Brokschmidt,  1854,  J.  Brokschmidt. 

These  firms  employ  in  their  business  fifteen  hands,  whose 
wages    amount    to    $6,400.     Annual  sales    $69,000.     Messrs. 


53 

Laage  &  Barnum  occupy  one  of  the  finest  business  houses  in 
the  city.  Their  store-room  is  fitted  up  in  very  elegant  style, 
and  the  upper  part  of  the  building  is  devoted  to  the  manufac- 
ture of  articles  in  their  line.  The  Hats  and  Caps  produced  at 
this  establishment  are  unexcelled  in  point  of  quality  or  style  by 
those  of  any  manufactory  East  or  West.  The  annual  value  of 
their  manufactures  alone  is  $25,000.  The  enterprise  and  skill 
displayed  by  these  gentlemen  in  the  conduct  of  their  business, 
have  gained  for  them  a  high  reputation,  and  an  extensive  and 
rapidly  increasing  trade. 


Millinery  and  Bonnet  Stores. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  proprietors  of  these   establish- 
ments in  the  city : 

Mrs.  S.  A.  M.  Blackford,  Mrs.  Karnes, 

Mrs.  E.  McLean,  Mrs.  B.  Fisher, 

Mrs.  Miller,  Mrs.  Parsons. 

Mrs.  Crawford, 

Their  sales  amount  to  $91,000  annually. 

Ice. 

There  are  three  firms  engaged  in  the  Ice  business,  viz  : 
P.  W.  Lane,  D.  Hauser. 

A.  C.  Lomileno, 

They  put  up  during  the  last  winter  3,350  tons  of  Ice,  worth 
$10  per  ton,  amounting  to  a  total  value  of  $33,500. 

•  __  n_ •  _ 

Pork  Packers. 

Pork  Packing  is  a  very  important  item  in  the  business  of 
Quincy.     The   county  of  Adams,   and  the  adjoining  counties 


54 

which  find  a  market  at  this  point,  are  not  excelled  throughout 
the  West  as  a  Pork-producing  district.  The  following  firms 
were  engaged  in  this  business  during  the  winter  of  1856  and  '57: 

FIRM.  NUMBER  HOGS  PACKED.  POUNDS. 

J.  E.  Norwood  9,025  2,203,765 

C.  M.  Pomroy  &  Co.,  9,127  2,223,269 

J.  Seaman,  4,760  1,109,080 

E.  Wells,  8,312  1,806,655 

G.  &  J.  Adams,  4,534  1,023,922 

Parshley  &  Smith,  2,548  619,801 


Amounting  to  38,306  hogs,  weighing  8,986,492 

Making  the  average  weight  235  pounds.  Besides  these,  there 
were  sold  to  Provision  Stores,  &c.,  some  2500  Hogs,  which,  at 
the  above  average,  amount  to  687, 500  pounds,  making  the  total 
number  of  Hogs  sold  in  this  market  40,806,  giving  a  total 
weight  of  9,773,992  pounds,  which,  at  $5,30  per  hundred,  the 
average  price  paid  during  the  season,  amounts  to  $512,721  57. 
Owing  to  the  general  scarcity  of  hogs  throughout  the  country 
during  the  year  1856,  these  statistics  can  hardly  be  considered 
as  fairly  representing  the  ordinary  amount  of  the  Pork  trade  at 
this  point : 


Beef  Packing. 

The  greater  proportion  of  the  Cattle  fattened  here,  and  in 
this  vicinity,  are  not  slaughtered  at  this  point,  but  are  driven  to 
Southern  and  Eastern  markets ;  and  although  a  large  amount 
of  capital  is  invested  in  the  Cattle  trade,  the  quantity  of  Beef 
packed  has  not  heretofore  been  large.  There  were  killed  and 
packed  in  1856,  by  Messrs.  J.  E.  Norwood  and  C.  M.  Pomroy  & 
Co.,  2,300  Beef  Cattle,  netting  4,930  barrels.  There  are 
slaughtered  for  home  consumption  about  3,000  head  annually. 


55 

There  is  a  prospect  of  a  large  increase  in  the  Beef  trade  at  this 
point,  and  the  amount  purchased  during  the  coming  winter  will 
probably  quadruple  that  of  any  preceding  year. 

Financial  Institutions. 

There  is  in  this  city  one  Bank  of  Issue,  viz :  "  The  Bank  of 
Quincy."  John  McGinnis,  Jr.,  Pres't.,  Maitland  Boone  Cashier. 
This  Bank  was  established  April,  1856,  under  the  general  Bank- 
ing Law  of  this  State.  Capital  stock,  $65,000.  The  published 
statement  of  this  institution  shows  its  affairs  to  be  in  a  flour- 
ishing condition. 

QUINCY  SAVINGS  AND   INSURAUCE  COMPANY. 

This  institution  was  organized  May  1st,  1857,  under  an  act  of 
the  Legislature,  approved  February  15th,  1855.  Capital 
$320,000.  Authorized  capital,  $500,000. 

BOARD   OP   DIRECTORS  : 

Elijah  Gove,  John  Wood, 

Hiram  Rogers,  Robert  S.  Benneson, 

Caleb  M.  Pomroy, 

OFFICERS: 
Elijah  Gove,  President,  A.  C.  Marsh,  Secretary, 

C.  B.  Clarke,  Cashier. 

This  Corporation  is  empowered  by  their  Charter  to  make  all 
kinds  of  fire  and  marine  insurance,  and  to  perform  the  duties 
and  functions  of  a  Bank  of  Deposit. 

There  are  in  this  city,  also,  the  following  private  Bankers  : 

FIRM.  WHEN  EST'D.  BY  WHOM. 

Flagg  &  Savage,  Oct.,  1850,  Flagg&  Savage. 

Moore,  Hollowbush  &  Co.,  Nov.,  1850,  Moore,  Hollowbush  &  Co. 

Bull,  Bushnell  &  Co.,         June,  1857,  Bull,  Bushnell  &  Co. 


56 

Livery  Stables. 

FIRM.  LOCATION. 

Clifford,  Lombard  &  Co.,       Main,  between  3d  and  4th  streets. 
J.  B.  Bennett,  Main,  between  3d  and  4th  streets. 

J.  T.  &  J.  W.  Bradford,        Fourth,  bet.  Main  and  Jersey  sts. 

These  stables  are  well  stocked  with  excellent  Horses  and 
Carriages  of  all  descriptions.  The  Carriages  and  Harnesses  in 
use  at  these  establishments  are  generally  of  Quincy  manufac- 
ture, and  many  of  them  are  exceedingly  tasteful  and  elegant 
in  design  and  mechanism.  The  charges  for  livery  hire  are 
lower  than  at  most  other  points. 

There  are  two  Omnibus  Lines  in  attendance  at  all  arrivals 
and  departures  of  Boats  and  Cars,  to  convey  passengers  to  or 
from  all  parts  of  the  city.  The  Omnibuses  are  of  elegant  and 
costly  construction.  There  is  a  heavy  capital  invested  in  this 
business,  from  which  a  handsome  return  is  realized. 


Hotels. 

Quincy  is  celebrated  for  the  excellence  and  cheapness  of  the 
accommodation  which  it  offers  to  the  traveling  public.  Our 
first  class  Hotels  are  acknowledged  to  be  decidedly  superior  to 
those  of  any  other  city  on  the  Mississippi  river  north  of  St. 
Louis,  in  every  particular  which  the  traveler  regards  as  essen- 
tial to  his  comfort.  The  buildings  are  large  and  handsome,  the 
rooms  airy  and  commodious,  and  elegantly  furnished.  The 
gentlemanly  proprietors  of  these  houses  have  rendered  them- 
selves deservedly  popular  with  their  numerous  guests,  by  their 
courteous  and  successful  endeavors  to  make  their  sojourn  in  the 
city  pleasant  and  agreeable.  We  give  the  four  principal 
Hotels : 

Quincy  House,  Corner  Main  and  Fourth  streets,  Floyd  &  Bro. 

Gather  House,  Hampshire,  between  5th  and  6th  sts.,  Z.  Gather. 

Hess  House,  Hampshire,  between  6th  and  7th  sts.,  H.  Hess. 

Virginia  Hotel,  corner  Hampshire  and  3d  sts.,  F.  B.  Walker. 


57. 

There  are,  besides  these,  some  twelve  or  fifteen  smaller 
houses,  and  numerous  boarding  houses.  Two  of  our  larger 
Hotels  have  been  built  since  the  completion  of  the  "  Quincy 
and  Chicago  Railroad,"  and  another  large  one  is  in  process  of 
erection  at  the  corner  of  Broadwav  and  Front  streets. 


Real  Estate  Dealers. 

There  ai-e  the  following  Real  Estate  Dealers  in  this  city,  viz  : 
ninchman  &  Loomis,  Gilpin  &  Rowland, 

Kingman  &  Tillson,  Moore,  Morton  &  Co., 

Green  &  Kirkbride,  C.  A.  &  A.  E.  Savage, 

M.  B.  Denman,  Edward  Prince, 

J.  P.  Erskine,  Dills  &  Wentworth. 

We  are  unable,  from  the  nature  of  their  business,  to  give  the 
actual  figures  of  their  transactions,  but  the  capital  invested  is 
large,  and  their  business  extensive. 


Religious  Denominations. 

I 

The  various  Religious  Societies  are  numerously  represented 
in  Quincy.  There  is  probably  no  other  city  in  the  West  in 
which  so  large  a  proportion  of  the  population  are  church 
members,  or  regular  attendants  upon  places  of  worship.  This 
fact  speaks  well  for  the  moral  character  of  the  city,  and  cannot 
but  favorably  impress  those  seeking  a  location  in  the  West,  with 
the  advantages  of  Quincy  as  a  place  of  residence.  Affixed  is  a 
list  of  the  Churches : 

St.  John's  Episcopal  Church,  Rev.  Wm.  Rudder,  Pastor. 

First  Congregational  Church,  Rev.  S.  II.  Emery,  Pastor. 

Centre  Congregational  Church,  Rev.  Horatio  Foote,  Pastor. 

First  Presbyterian  Church,  Rev.  George  I.  King,  Pastor. 

Westminster  Presbyterian  Church,  Rev.  Wm.  McCandlish, 
Pastor. 

8 


58 

First  Baptist  Church,  Rev.  L.  M.  Whitman,  Pastor. 

Vermont  street  Baptist  Church,  Rev.  Joseph  R.  Manton, 
Pastor. 

Vermont  street  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Rev.  R. 
An drus,  Pastor. 

Fifth  street  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Rev.  A.  C.  Vandcr- 
water,  Pastor. 

Protestant  Methodist  Church,  Rev.  Joseph  P.  Johnson,  Pastor. 

Unitarian  Church,  Rev.  L.  Billings,  Pastor. 

Universalist  Church. 

Christian  Church. 

St.  James'  German  Lutheran  Reformed  Church,  Rev.  A. 
Schmieding,  Pastor. 

St.  John's  German  Lutheran  Reformed  Church,  Rev.  Chris- 
tian Popp,  Pastor. 

Salem  German  Lutheran  Reformed  Church,  Rev.  Simon 
Lieser,  Pastor. 

•  First  German  Methodist   Episcopal  Church,   Rev.   John  L. 
Walther,  Pastor. 

German  Baptist  Church,  Rev.  Wm.  Gladfclt,  Pastor. 

There  are  belonging  to  these  churches  2,968  members. 

There  is  one  German  Catholic  Church,  Rev.  Joseph  Kuenster, 
Pastor,  and  one  Irish  Catholic  Church,  Rev.  Joseph  Dcmpsey, 
Pastor.  These  have  a  very  large  attendance. 


List  of  Officers  of  the  City  of  Qnincy,  1857. 

SYLVESTER  THAYER,  Mayor.         A.  "W.  BLAKESLEY,  City  Clerk. 
I.  0.  WOODRUFF,  City  Treas.       J.  M.  BARRY,  City  Marshal. 


ALDE  RMEN: 


FIRST  WARD — Thomas  Jasper,  H.  S.  Osborn. 
SECOND  WARD — J.  B.  Brown,  J.  B.  Merssman. 
THIRD  WARD — R.  S.  Benneson,  Michael  McVey. 


59 

FOURTH  WARD  —  B.  F.  Bcrrian,  Andrew  Keller, 
FIFTH  WARD  —  J.  B.  Hicks,  A.  J.  Lubbe. 
SIXTH  WARD  —  S,  M.  Bartlctt,  John  Schell,  Jr, 


Value  of  Taxable  Property  Annually,  from  1835 

F*"    •*•>-  ••'*••     '  •      .  to  1857.   ,Wf    •-••.*'  »••••  •  -  : 

TEAR.  ASSESSED  VALUE.  ESTIMATED  VALUE. 

1885  ....................   64,878  ....................  168,818 

1836  ....................  487,900  ....................  887,900 

1837  ....................  545,050  ....................  954,150 

1838  ....................  605,320  .................  ...  1  ,063,820 

1839  ..........  .  .........  658,443  ........  ............  1,135,443 

1840  ....................  1,009,126  ....................  1,284,136 

1841  ..........  .  .........  887,868  ....................  1,573,868 

1842  ....................  998,279  ....................  1,634,279 

1843  ....................  864,209  ....................  1,763,209 

1844  ....................  983,890  ....................  1  ,848,390 

1845  ....................  900,120  ....................  1,862,120 

1846  ....................  1,059,288  .............  ......  1,943,288 

1847  ....................  985,099  ............  /.  ......  1  ,987,098 

1848  ....................  1,269,498  ....................  2,1  69,498 

1849  ....................  1,322.328  ....................  2,874,338 

1850  ....................  1,556,342  ....................  2,983,342 

1851  ....................  1,789,899  ....................  3,208,399 

1852  ....................  1,574,134  ....................  3,746,133 

1853  ....................  1,811,965  ....................  4,104,965 

'  1854  .....  1  ..............  1,886,778  ....................  4,627,778 

1855  ....................  3,149,797  ....................  6,895,797 

1856  ....................  4,033,976  ....................  9,185,976 

1S57  ....................  5,042,951  ...................  12,346,957 


60 

City  Debt,  July  1st,  1857. 

Improvement  Bonds $184,042  21 

Railroad  Bonds. .-..  .  500,000  00 


Total.  .  .  .  ............................................  $684,0-12  21 


City  Resources. 

Revenue  for  1857  ............................  90,000  00 

Stocks  owned  l>y  City  — 

N.  C.  Railroad  .............................  200,000  00 

Toledo,  Wabash  and  Western  R.  R  ............  200,000  00 

Qnincy  and  Palmyra  Railroad  ...............  100,000  00 

Estimated  Value  of  Real  Estate  — 

Levee  at  foot  of  Main  street,  [1,550  ft  front]  .  .  .  350,000  00 

Levee  at  foot  of  Washington  street  ...........  25,000  00 

Washington  Square  ..........................  225,000  00 

Jefferson  Square  .............................  125,000  00 

Franklin  Square  .............................  35,000  00 

Hospital  Grounds  ............................  15,000  00 

Webster  School  house  and  Lot  ................  85,000  00 

Jefferson  School  House  and  Lot  ...............  8,000  00 

Franklin  School  House  and  Lot  ...............  10,000  00 

Four  Engine  Houses  and  Lots  ...............  .  24,000  00 

MarketNo.l  .........................  .  ......  25,000  00 

Market  Lot  No.  2  ............................  3,000  00 


Total $1,470,000  00 

Total  Debt 684,042  21 

Total  amount  of  Resources  over  and  above  Debts $785,957  79 


61 


DESCRIPTIVE 


The  citv  of  Quincy  is  situated  upon  the  Eastern  shore  of  the 
Mississippi,  at  an  elevation  of  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  river.     For  a  distance   of  many  miles 
above  and  below,  the  Bluffs  on  the  Illinois  side  are  separated 
from  the  river  by  a  wide  extent  of  Bottom  Land,  covered  with 
waetr   at   every  inundation,  and  intersected  by   sloughs  and 
marshes,  rendering  the  main  channel  inaccessable  for  purposes 
of  commerce.     At  this  point  they  rise   almost  from  the  water's 
edge,  and  form  a  Landing,  practicable  for  steamboats  of  the 
largest  class,  at  all   seasons  of  the  year.     The  elevation  upon 
which  the  city  is  built  commands  a  view  of  the  river  for  more 
than  fifteen  miles  in  either  direction,  which  is  unsurpassed  for 
the  variety  and  beauty  of  its  scenery.     Lagrange,  at  a  distance 
of  twelve  miles  to  the  North,  and  Palmyra,  fourteen  miles  to 
the  South-west,  may  be  distinctly  seen  on  a  clear  day  from  the 
summit  of  the  Bluff.     No  landscape  on  the  Mississippi  is  more 
lovely  than  that  which  is  here  presented  to  the  eye  in  the  season 
of  foliage.     The  bold  out-line  of  the  Bluffs  skirting  the  West- 
ern horizon,  the  wide  expanse  of  forest  on  either  side  extending 
to  the  water's  edge,  and  the  thickly  wooded  islands  dotting  the 
surface  of  the  stream,  combine  to  form  a  picture  such  as  rarely 
meets  the  eye  amid  the  comparatively  monotonous  scenery  of 
the  West.     The  Mississippi  at  this  point  is  about  one  mile  in 
width.     Its  Western  shore  is  lined  by  a  dense  forest,  extending 


62 

several  miles  into  the  interior,  and  affording  an  ample  supply  of 
fuel  and  lumber.  The  North-western  portion  of  the  city 
extends  along  the  shore  of  a  beautiful  sheet  of  water,  now 
known  as  "Quincy  Bay,"  but  which,  in  "early  times,"  was 
called  "  Boston  Bay,"  as  were  the  Bluffs  upon  which  the  city 
now  stands  called  "  Boston  Hills" — being  named  by  the  Indians 
after  a  trader,  who,  in  the  employ  of  the  "Boston  Fur  Compa  - 
ny,"  established  a  Trading  Post  about  three  miles  above  this 
point.  Many  of  the  largest  manufacturing  establishments  of 
Quincy  are  built  upon  the  shore  of  this  beautiful  inlet.  The 
country  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  city  is  gently  rolling. 
Groves  of  magnificent  trees  alternate  with  fields  which,  in  the 
season  of  tillage,  are  covered  with  an  abundant  vegetation. — 
Neat  and  comfortable  farm-houses,  and  highly  cultivated  farms, 
everywhere  attest  the  industry  and  success  with  which  the  busi- 
ness of  agriculture  is  carried  on. 

The  unequalled  beauty  of  its  site,  the  taste  displayed  in  its 
plan,  improvement  and  public  buildings,  as  well  as  the  orderly 
and  industrious  habits  of  its  citizens,  have  gained  for  Quincy 
the  justly  merited  title  of  the  "Model  City."  The  area  embraced 
within  its  corporate   limits  is  about  five  square  miles.     The 
streets  arc  laid  off  with  perfect  regularity,  of  ample  width^ 
occupying  easy  grades,  and  in  the  business  portion  of  the  city 
they  are  thoroughly  macadamized.  The  side-walks  are  wide  and 
substantially   paved  with  brick,  and  extend  over  almost  the 
entire  area  occupied  by  buildings.     Their  aggregate  length  is 
no  less  than  thirty-three  miles — a  greater  extent  of  brick  pave- 
ment than  is  to  be  found  in  all  the  other  cities   and  towns  in 
Illinois  together,  Chicago  not  excepted.     Several  of  the  princi- 
pal streets  are  paved  for  a  distance  of  more  than  two  miles  with 
side-walks    of  the  most    substantial    character.     The    streets 
throughout  the  city  are  kept  in   thorough  repair,  even  at  the 
most  unfavorable  seasons  of  the  year.     Gas  Works  were  erect- 
ed in  the  fall  of  1855,  and  the  streets  are  now  well  lighted  in 
all  the  most  frequented  parts  of  the  city. 


63 

Great  attention  has  been  given,  from  the  earliest  times,  to 
shading  and  adorning  public  and  private  grounds  throughout 
the  city.  The  forest  trees  have  been  preserved,  so  far  as  it 
could  be  done  consistently  with  the  necessities  of  building  and 
grading ;  and  where  they  were  wanting,  thrifty  elms  and  maples 
have  been  transplanted,  and  are  now  becoming  yearly  more 
valuable  for  the  purposes  of  ornament  and  shade.  The  people 
of  Quincy  have  never  been  so  engrossed  with  the  mania  for 
speculation  as  to  forget  the  duty  which  the  founders  of  a  city 
owe  to  coming  generations.  Hence,  large  tracts  of  valuable 
real  estate,  some  of  it  in  the  very  heart  of  the  city,  have  been 
purchased  by  the  city  government,  and  reserved  for  Parks  and 
Ornamental  Grounds. 

Washington  Square  is  in  the  central  portion  of  the  city.  It 
is  neatly  enclosed,  and  beautifully  shaded  by  fine  forest  trees, 
and  is  surrounded  by  business  houses  which  may  challenge 
comparison  with  the  finest  portions  of  St.  Louis  and  Chicago. 
Jefferson  Park  is  in  the  North-eastern  part  of  the  city.  It  is 
pleasantly  located,  and  adds  much  to  the  beauty  of  this  part  of 
the  city.  Franklin  Square  is  situated  on  the  Bluff,  and  com- 
mands a  fine  view  of  the  river  and  its  Western  shore.  Wood- 
land Park  is  a  beautiful  enclosure  of  twenty-five  acres,  in  the 
Southern  suburbs  of  the  city.  It  was  selected  as  a  place  of 
public  recreation  for  its  rare  natural  beauty,  and  convenient 
location.  It  is  shaded  by  native  forest  trees,  and  watered  by  a 
copious  and  never-failing  spring,  which  gushes  forth,  clear  and 
cool,  from  the  hill-side.  Art  could  do  nothing  to  improve  or 
embellish  this  beautiful  tract  of  wood-land,  and  it  has  been  left 
almost  in  a  state  of  nature. 

If  the  actual  value  of  the  grounds  thus  devoted  to  the  purpo- 
ses of  ornament  and  recreation,  was  invested  in  enterprises  of 
more  immediate  utility,  it  would  go  very  far  to  promote  the 
extension  of  the  commerce  and  business  of  Quincy.  But  the 
City  Fathers  have  steadily  adhered  to  the  far  wiser  policy  of 


64 


securing  to  her  citizens,  for  all  time  to  come,  the  means  of 
innocent  and  healthful  recreation.  Other  towns,  which  have 
neglected  this  most  important  object,  will  doubtless  regret, 
when  it  is  too  late,  that  some  "  corner  lots"  and  "  desirable 
business  locations,"  were  not  sacrificed  to  its  promotion.  The 
beauty  of  the  public  Parks  of  Quincy,  and  the  taste  displayed 
in  the  grounds  surrounding  her  private  residences,  may  account 
for  the  remark  almost  invariably  made  by  disinterested  stran- 
gers, that  "Quincy  is  the  finest  city  in  the  West." 

From  the  business  centre  of  the  city  the  ground  inclines 
gently  to  the  &Torth,  South  and  East,  affording  many  sites  of 
rare  beauty  for  private  residences.  The  natural  advantages  of 
the  location  have  been  improved  with  a  taste  and  liberality 
seldom  found  in  a  country  where  the  useful  is  so  generally 
cultivated  at  the  expense  of  the  beautiful.  Our  successful  and 
independent  men  of  business  have  contributed  so  generally  to 
every  object  of  public  interest,  that  they  may  well  be  excused 
for  displaying  a  similar  magnificence  in  the  adornment  of  their 
homes.  Many  elegant  residences  are  now  in  process  of  erec- 
tion in  various  parts  of  the  city.  Among  these  is  the  dwelling 
of  Lieutenant-Governor  Wood,  which,  when  completed,  will  be 
the  most  beautiful,  as  well  as  the  most  costly,  private  residence 
in  the  State. 

Woodland  cemetery  is  situated  in  the  South-western  portion 
of  the  city,  extending  on  the  Western  side  nearly  to 
the  river.  It  includes  an  area  of  forty-five  acres.  The  grounds 
are  tastefully  arranged,  and  thickly  wooded  with  noble  oaks  and 
maples  of  native  growth.  The  retirement  of  the  situation,  and 
the  delightful  scenery  around,  render  it  singularly  appropriate 
to  the  purpose  to  which  it  is  devoted.  No  one  who  has  ever 
visited  it  can  fail  to  admire  the  taste  which  presided  over  the 
selection  and  adornment  of  this  beautiful  spot. 

The  great  extension  of  the  trade  of  Quincy,  consequent  upon 
her  increased  facilities  for  Railroad  communication,  has  been 


65 


followed  by  a  rapid  improvement  in  the  character  of  her  busi- 
ness houses.  A  very  considerable  portion  of  the  city  has  been 
almost  entirely  re-built  since  the  opening  of  the  "  Quincy  and 
Chicago  Railroad  ;"  and  the  process  of  improvement  is  still 
rapidly  going  on.  The  best  material  is  employed  in  building, 
and  great  attention  is  paid  to  the  selection  of  appropriate  plans 
and  designs.  The  necessary  limits  of  this  article  will  not 
permit  us  to  enumerate  the  many  handsome  and  substantial 
buildings  which  have  been  erected  by  our  leading  merchants 
and  manufacturers  during  the  past  year.  One  of  the  most 
conspicuous  of  them  is  the  fine  block  lately  erected  by  Mr. 
Konantz,  sixty  feet  front  and  five  stories  high — a  building 
which  compares  favorably  with  anything  of  the  kind  in  the 
West.  Messrs.  Flagg  &  Savage,  who  are  among  our  leading 
bankers  and  capitalists,  are  now  erecting,  at  the  South-east 
corner  of  Washington  Square,  a  magnificent  business  block, 
consisting  of  four  store  rooms  one  hundred  feet  deep,  and  four 
stories  in  height.  These  stores  are  all  engaged  at  a  rent  which 
will  return  a  handsome  interest  on  the  capital  invested.  Messrs. 
E.  K.  Stone  &  Co.  are  now  building  two  fine  stores  of  the  same 
dimensions,  and  Mr.  A.  C.  Lomelino  has  nearly  completed  a 
building  of  a  similar  character,  which  is  a  model  in  all  respects 
of  business  architecture.  All  of  these  have  iron  fronts,  and 
will  compare  favorably  with  any  business  blocks  in  our  largest 
cities.  For  want  of  space  we  are  unable  to  notice  particularly 
many  other  business  houses  now  in  process  of  erection,  which 
are  hardly  inferior  to  those  above  mentioned.  Notwithstanding 
the  large  number  of  buildings  of  this  character  which  have 
been  recently  constructed,  the  demand  still  keeps  pace  with  the 
supply,  and  gives  abundant  proof  of  the  rapid  growth  of  the 
commerce  and  business  of  Quincy. 

Much  attention  has  been  given  to  the  organization  of  an 
efficient  system  of  public  schools.  Large  and  convenient  build- 
ings have  been  erected  in  various  parts  of  the  city,  and  these 


66 


are  well  supplied  with  experienced  and  competent  instructors. 
The  large  number  of  pupils  in  attendance — being  over  1,000 — 
is  a  flattering  indication  of  the  interest  which  is  felt  in  the 
important  subject  of  popular  education.  In  the  public  schools 
instruction  is  given  in  those  branches  of  science  which  are  of 
universal  utility.  For  pupils  who  desire  to  pursue  a  more 
extensive  course  of  study,  there  are  a  variety  of  private  insti- 
tutions— many  of  them  of  a  very  high  character.  Among 
these  the  Methodist  Male  and  Female  College  is  worthy  of  espe- 
cial mention.  It  is  well  endowed,  and  employs  a  large  corps  of 
accomplished  and  competent  teachers,  who  give  instruction  to 
a  large  number  of  pupils,  in  the  various  practical  and  orna- 
mental branches  whfch  are  considered  essential  to  a  thorough 
and  finished  education.  The  building  occupied  by  this  school 
is  large  and  handsome,  and  well  supplied  with  libraries  and 
scientific  apparatus.  Arrangements  have  been  made  for  estab- 
lishing, at  an  early  day,  a  College  on  a  larger  scale  than  any 
institution  of  the  kind  now  existing  in  the  State.  The  known 
wealth  and  intelligence  of  the  gentlemen  who  have  engaged  in 
this  movement,  are  an  ample  guarantee  of  its  complete  success. 
The  buildings  occupied  by  the  public  schools  of  Quincy  are 
generally  large  and  commodious,  and  are  sufficient  to  accommo- 
date all  the  children  of  the  city  who  are  entitled  by  law  to  par- 
ticipate in  the  advantages  which  they  afford.  The  Fifth  Ward 
school  house  is  an  excellent  specimen  of  school  architecture. 
The  public  schools  have  been,  since  their  establishment,  under 
the  supervision  of  competent  Superintendents,  and  the  system 
which  has  been  organized  and  administered  has  proved,  in  the 
highest  degree,  efficient  and  satisfactory. 

Quincy  is  honorably  distinguished  among  her  sister  cities  by 
the  unusual  number,  as  well  as  the  size  and  beauty,  of  her 
churches.  Her  religious  societies  are  numerous,  influential  and 
wealthy,  and  are  remarkable  for  the  liberality  with  which  they 
contribute  to  the  various  objects  of  Christian  benevolence. 


67 

Their  influence  is  strongly  felt  in  maintaining  an  elevated  moral 
tone  in  the  community.  The  first  settlers  of  Quincy  were  reli- 
gious men,  and  the  character  which  they  early  impressed  upon 
the  infant  city  is  still  retained.  The  clergy  who  supply  her 
pulpits  have  ever  been  distinguished  for  learning  and  ability, 
as  well  as  for  the  disinterested  zeal  which  they  have  manifested 
in  promoting  the  important  ends  of  moral  and  intellectual 
improvement.  Nearly  all  the  church  edifices  of  the  city  are 
handsome  and  imposing  structures.  One  of  the  most  beautiful 
among  them  is  the  church  recently  erected  by  the  Baptist 
Society,  on  Vermont  street — an  edifice  unsurpassed  in  the 
gracefulness  of  its  architecture,  and  the  fitness  for  the  object 
to  which  it  is  consecrated.  The  Congregational  churches  on 
Jersey,  and  the  Catholic  churches  on  Maine  are  also  large  and 
handsome  buildings. 

Several  benevolent  and  charitable  associations  have  been 
formed  in  this  city,  and  may  now  be  considered  as  permanently 
established.  Among  these  the  Orders  of  Masons  and  Odd 
Fellows,  and  the  German  and  Irish  benevolent  societies  are 
worthy  of  especial  mention.  All  these  associations  are  large 
and  flourishing,  and  have  been  the  means  of  alleviating  much 
of  the  want  and  suffering  which  exist  to  a  greater  or  less  extent 
in  all  populous  towns. 

An  efficient  Fire  Department  was  early  organized,  and  the 
city  regulations  upon  this  subject  are  stringent,  and  rigidly 
enforced.  Owing  to  the  general  use  of  fire-proof  material  in 
building,  and  the  public  spirit  and  excellent  discipline  of  our 
Fire  Companies,  we  have  hitherto  enjoyed  an  unusual  exemp- 
tion from  disasters  by  fire.  Our  condition  in  this  respect  com- 
pares most  favorably  with  that  of  our  neighboring  cities. 

To  the  emigrant  who  is  about  selecting  a  permanent  location 
in  the  great  West,  no  consideration  is  more  important  than  the 
moral  and  social  character  of  the  population  in  the  various 
localities  which  invite  emigration  and  settlement.  Xo  facilities 


68 

for  the  prosecution  of  business,  and  the  acquisition  of  wealth, 
can  compensate  for  the  absence  of  an  intelligent  society  and 
educational  advantages.  In  many  of  the  rising  cities  of  the 
West  the  rage  for  speculation  and  money-getting  has  not  only 
vitiated  the  moral  tone  of  the  community  to  a  very  serious 
extent,  but  has  prevented  any  adequate  effort  to  secure  the 
means  of  intellectual  culture  to  the  rising  generation.  In  their 
anxiety  to  secure  abundant  wealth  for  their  children,  the 
citizens  of  these  towns  have  forgotten  that  wealth,  unaccompa- 
nied by  intelligence,  can  only  be  injurious  to  its  possessor.  It 
was  most  fortunate  for  Quincy,  that  during  the  period  which 
elapsed  between  the  first  settlement  within  her  limits,  and  the 
more  recent  commencement  of  her  rapid  growth,  an  efficient 
system  of  education  had  been  organized,  and  an  elevated  moral 
tone  established  and  maintained.  The  subsequent  growth  of 
her  population,  though  rapid,  has  been  regular  and  healthy,  and 
its  materials  have  been  drawn  mainly  from  the  better  class  of 
Eastern  emigrants,  characterized  by  habits  of  industry,  enter- 
prise and  business  integrity,  and  by  an  orderly  and  peaceful 
disposition.  Hence,  Quincy  has  never  been  disgraced  by  those 
scenes  of  lawless  violence  Avhich  have  been  too  often  witnessed 
in  the  streets  of  Western  cities.  An  efficient  Police  System 
secures  the  safety  of  person  and  property.  A  liberal  and 
enlightened  spirit  displays  itself  in  works  of  public  utility  and 
ornament.  The  eager  and  successful  pursuit  of  business  has 
not  excluded  attention  to  the  higher  end  of  moral  and  intellec- 
tual culture,  and  the  Eastern  emigrant  may  find  here  that  public 
order,  social  refinement,  and  universal  intelligence,  which  he 
most  valued  in  his  former  home,  together  with  an  enlarged  and 
generous  liberality  of  sentiment,  which  is  found  only  in  the 
West. 

In  enumerating  the  advantages  of  Quincy  as  a  place  of  resi- 
dence, the  healthfulness  of  her  location  should  not  be  forgotten. 
The  city  is  almost  entirely  exempt  from  the  diseases  which  are 


69 

the  scourge  of  the  Mississippi  Valley.  The  streets  are  kept 
carefully  clean,  and  no  business  is  permitted  to  be  carried  on 
within  the  city  limits  which  might  be  injurious  to  its  sanitary 
condition.  The  elevated  site  upon  which  Quincy  is  built,  and 
her  copious  supply  of  excellent  water,  may  account  for  the 
very  small  annual  mortality,  as  shown  by  the  official  returns. 

Having  thus  enumerated  some  of  the  many  advantages  of  our 
beautiful  city  as  a  place  of  residence,  we  have  only  to  say,  in 
conclusion,  that  we  invite  the  emigrant,  who  is  in  search  of  a 
home,  to  visit  Quincy  and  test  the  correctness  of  our  statements 
by  the  results  of  his  own  observation.  If,  upon  doing  so,  he 
finds  her  deficient  in  those  requisites,  which  he  deems  essential 
to  a  good  location,  he  will  do  well  to  retrace  his  steps,  and 
abandon  the  idea  of  settlement  in  the  West.  But  we  are  confi- 
dent that  no  person  who  is  made  of  the  right  stuff  for  a  West- 
ern man,  can  fail  to  appreciate  the  admirable  location  of  our 
city,  and  the  enterprise,  intelligence  and  refinement  of  her 
people. 


) 


